Petone to Grenada update

21 October 2025

Photo: Aerial view of the Petone to Grenada Valley

Project moves forward to route protection

Progress has been made in enabling a critical transport link between Lower Hutt and North Wellington/Porirua.

The re-evaluation of the Petone to Grenada (P2G) Road of National Significance (RoNS) is now complete and the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has approved a preferred route for the project and funding for the next phase, which includes seeking consents and protecting the route under the Fast-track Approvals Act.

What's planned

The new road will improve travel between Lower Hutt (SH2) and north Wellington/Porirua (SH1), connecting communities and making it easier to get around the region. The preferred four lane road, approximately 6-kilometres long will include:    

• ​A connection to SH2 north of the existing Petone interchange.  
• ​A connection into Petone at the intersection of Hutt Road and Udy Street.  
• ​Tunnels under Woodridge Drive and Mark Avenue.   
• ​A connection with SH1 north of the existing Grenada interchange.   

Why this project matters

P2G is recognised as a much-needed transport link that will support regional growth and deliver long-term economic benefits to the Wellington region.

Lower Hutt and Porirua are just 10 kilometres apart geographically, but the current driving distance is 24 kilometres via SH2, SH1, and the Ngā Ūranga (Ngauranga) interchange, and nearly 50 kilometres if travelling via SH58.

SH1 and SH2 suffer significant traffic congestion, with both state highways carrying over 70,000 vehicles daily. P2G will deliver significant travel time savings of up to 23 minutes at peak times between Lower Hutt and Porirua, and will remove around 10,000 trips from the SH1, SH2 and SH58 Wellington State Highway network.  

The preferred connection supports planned housing growth of 3,000 dwellings directly and 30,000 dwellings in adjacent areas.  

Project history

The last detailed investigation into the Petone to Grenada Link Road took place in the mid-2010s. A 2017 review raised concerns about the resilience of the previously proposed alignment and recommended a redesign.

In 2018, a re-evaluation concluded that further work was needed to identify the best package of improvements. In 2024-2025 the route was reassessed, and a new preferred alignment has been identified. This updated route provides an efficient connection with significantly reduced earthworks by using tunnels, which helps enable a flatter alignment.

We understand you may have been impacted by the previous design. If you're still potentially impacted, you will hear more from us shortly. It's also possible you're no longer directly impacted. If you're no longer interested in this project, you can unsubscribe on the link at the bottom of this newsletter. 

Next steps

The next phase of the Petone to Grenada project is route protection. This is the process of identifying and securing land for future public works, including transport infrastructure like P2G.

This stage involves:

• Engaging with directly impacted landowners, partners, and organisations.
• Geotechnical and environmental investigations to better understand ground conditions and the surrounding environment.
• Ongoing planning and design work to support the Fast Track Approvals Act application (FTAA). The FTAA is intended to make it easier and quicker to gain approvals for infrastructure projects that will deliver regional and national benefits.  

Cross Valley Link

The Cross Valley Link (CVL) is a route linking the south-eastern Hutt Valley with SH2. This would use existing local roads to connect into a new bridge over the Hutt River to improve access to industrial areas in Seaview and Gracefield, as well as to Wainuiomata and Eastbourne. 

As part of the Investment Case, NZTA completed a feasibility study of CVL. This included the form of the CVL, its function in the traffic network, and how it would best integrate with P2G.

The Cross Valley Link is listed as part of the Petone to Grenada Roads of National Significance (RoNS) in the Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 to support economic growth and productivity. Securing route protection for Petone to Grenada is a priority, and it is a key reason for why substantive work on the Cross Valley Link will happen later. 

Want to learn more?

Visit our website nzta.govt.nz/p2g

For most questions, you'll find everything you need online. If you still need help, email us at petone2grenada@nzta.govt.nz