Standing up to the conditions

This week's storm provided a valuable real‑world test for the resilience of Te Ara Tupua, and a strong reminder of the importance of building infrastructure that’s ready for the future.

Heavy rain and powerful winds swept across the region on Monday, with Mt Kaukau recording gusts of up to 193km/h and the airport experiencing winds of 128km/h.

These were among the strongest winds observed since a similar 2013 storm, which caused widespread damage and disruption throughout Wellington — including the washout that forced the closure of the Hutt Valley rail corridor.

From the outset, Te Ara Tupua has been designed to withstand challenging coastal conditions. Its combination of coastal protection and robust engineering — including the interlocking concrete XBloc® units — performed as intended (minus a bit of debris here and there) and protected critical adjacent infrastructure.

Ngā Ūranga ki Pito One update

Pavement

We're working day and night to get the base surface along the path ready for the final layer of asphalt. This work is weather dependent but so far around 70% of the path has been asphalted. Line marking is also soon to begin.

Bridge

The viewing platform on the seaside of the bridge is now complete. The bridge has also been lowered onto the permanent bearings and drainage is set to be completed this month. Balustrades will be installed over the next few weeks.

Utilities

We're now working at Piki Wahine (one of the largest Ūranga at the southern end of the project) as we continue construction of the services trench. Over the next two weeks, the crew will complete approximately 515 metres of trenching and install 13 new service pits. By the end of the month, the main trench is expected to be completed, and will be ready for cable installation.

Cultural representation/artwork

Pou and other cultural expression taonga (treasures)have begun to be installed across the project. The remaining pou will be installed over coming weeks. Information signage is scheduled to be installed through March.

Landscaping (Ūranga and Honiana Te Puni Reserve)

Work at each of the six Ūranga is also progressing well.

• Piki Wahine is at an advanced stage having retaining walls and other landscaping works finished or well underway
• The path through Tahataharoa is now in progress. Kerbing and other planted areas is complete
• Landscaping work at Parororangi, excluding the path through it, is now complete — as is work at Horokiwi.
• Pari Kārangaranga and Te Ana Puta shaping and wall preparation works have begun and are progressing well.

In Honiana Te Puni Reserve, beach access has been closed in order for us to remove site fencing and tie our work into the beach and revetment edges. As part of this the site compound, storage containers, and part of our stockpile areas have been cleared.

Over the next month, landscaping work in the reserve will continue, and the canopy structure around the Tāwharau Pods will start being erected. 

Ecology

The start of the year brings the moulting season into full swing as kororā come ashore and hunker down while they lose and regrow all of their feathers.

This is an extremely stressful time for them as they can’t feed or go into the ocean for the entire period (around two weeks) and they often will pop up in unexpected places.

With assistance from our specially trained 'protected species' dogs, we found that Piki Wahine was chock full of kororā over most of January and the beginning of February.

As most of the significant construction work is complete, our risk of stumbling upon these penguins is dramatically less these days.

We wrapped up the second year of our ngārara (lizard) relocation monitoring at Camp Bay. We found eight northern grass skinks (six adults and two juveniles) were caught, measured, and released. This was a higher total number than the previous year and highlights successful breeding occurring this year.

This monitoring will continue for another season in order to assess the success of the relocation of salvaged ngārara from Ma-Koromiko Bay and Whiorau Reserve.

Get around, 'round, 'round, we get around

The team working on Te Ara Tupua are choosing bikes as a smarter, healthier way to get around site.

As work has progressed, using the stunning 4.5 kilometre Te Ara Tupua pathway has become not only a quick and efficient way for our people to travel between sites and meetings — but also supports health and wellbeing initiatives, which is a key aim of this project.

With the Aotearoa Bike Challenge underway and Te Ara Tupua set to open soon, now is a great time to make biking part of your day.

Whether it’s a short commute, a lunchtime ride, or swapping a car trip for two wheels, every ride helps. We encourage you to keep building momentum as we get ready to walk, run and ride this new shared path in a few months.

When summer finally show up

Although everyone loves Wellington on a good day, it can certainly get hot! That’s why our Health and Safety Team has been walking the alignment to offer our on-site team electrolytes in the heat.

This summer initiative has not only been lifting morale but is also supportive of our objective of finishing strong. Getting the best out of one another means keeping our hauora front of mind - staying hydrated, looking after ourselves, and feeling supported by the team around us.

Great thinking from our Health, Safety, and Hauora representatives across the project. It’s proactive approaches like this that keep us moving safely and energetically toward the finish line.

People of the project

Maria is part of the alliance team delivering Te Ara Tupua, a major project that will better protect State Highway 2 and the Hutt Valley rail line from the sea while creating a new walking and cycling path between Wellington and Lower Hutt. The project is complex, coastal, and highly visible to the community, offering engineers a rare opportunity to contribute to a legacy project.

In her two years on the project, Maria has worked across a wide range of tasks. This has included the construction of seawalls, installation of utilities, and landscaping along the path. She has also worked closely with designers to resolve quality assurance and design requirements - experience that has broadened her skills and exposed her to several different disciplines.

Maria enjoys the variety and challenge that comes with Te Ara Tupua. Working across multiple scopes has allowed her to learn quickly and collaborate with teams from different backgrounds. Each stage of the project has provided new opportunities to grow and take on responsibilities that push her both technically and professionally.

Te Ara Tupua has been her most memorable project so far, not only because of its scale but also its location beside both the railway and the sea. She feels proud to contribute to a project that will be used daily by the community and looks forward to the day it opens, knowing it is something she and her whānau will enjoy for years to come.

A project of this size requires strong teamwork, and Maria brings a positive and supportive approach to her role. Her commitment to working with excellence, staying grounded, and encouraging those around her has become an important part of her day to day contribution on site.

Finalist in Cultural Competence Award

Te Ara Tupua Alliance has been announced as a finalist in the Cultural Competence Award at this year's Diversity Awards NZ.

Finalists for this year’s awards were announced today, with judges recognising among 50 entrants for the significant mahi they are doing to grow inclusive and equitable workplaces throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

This is a great achievement. It highlights everything that's gone into the project over the years and our drive to building an inclusive workplace.

Our kaupapa is supporting deep cultural learning, genuine partnership practice, and sustained organisational change across the project’s partner organisations — demonstrating leadership that aligns strongly with the intent of the Cultural Competence category.

We've also entered the He Ara Māori Tohu feature award, which shines a light on initiatives that honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and embed tikanga Māori to create genuine pathways for Māori inclusion, leadership, and equity in the workplace.

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday 5 May.

Local events you'll catch us at this summer

More information

For more information on the Te Ara Tupua project, contact us at TeAraTupua@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/TeAraTupua