Te Ara Tupua

Project update

17 June 2026

One month with the new shared path

It's been great to see so many of you enjoying the Ngauranga to Petone (Ngā Ūranga ki Pito One) section of Te Ara Tupua.

Over the opening weekend, we saw more than 10,000 cyclist and pedestrian movements; then over 18,000 movements in the first few weekdays.

Since then, more than 85,100 cyclist and pedestrian movements have been recorded — this includes a weekday mean of 1,653 and weekend mean of 5,205.

Standing strong through Wellington’s wild weather

The Ngauranga to Petone section of Te Ara Tupua came through the recent wild weather unscathed, showing once again the resilience it now provides for Wellington.

The shared path and seawall were inspected after last week's strong winds and high seas, with no damage to the infrastructure.

The coastal edge performed exactly as designed, protecting State Highway 2 and the rail corridor, and keeping the network running.

In the past, weather events like this have had major impacts, including disruptions to the Hutt Valley rail line. Last week’s conditions showed the value of the investment in strengthening this critical coastal corridor.

The path was temporarily closed for around five hours while conditions were at their roughest, with waves breaking over the seawall and onto the path. This decision was made to keep people safe.

We know Te Ara Tupua is already a popular and growing commuter route. However, like roads, it may be closed during severe weather to prioritise public safety.

Thanks for your understanding and patience during these conditions.

A little courtesy goes a long way

A little awareness goes a long way in keeping it safe and enjoyable for everyone. So whether you’re walking, cycling, commuting or just out enjoying the view, here are some guidelines we should all stick to:

• keep left on your side
• if you’re in a group, go single file when others are approaching
• look out for people behind you who want to get by you
• check behind you before changing direction or passing, and
• avoid blocking the path if you stop.

And if you're travelling on an e-scooter or bike:

• slow down in busy areas, especially near bridges and rest areas
• give people plenty of space when passing
• prepare to slow or stop suddenly, and
• communicate — a friendly bell ring or call out helps avoid surprises

For people walking dogs:

• keep dogs close and under control, and
• we shouldn't have to say this, but please clean up after your dog.

Te Ara Tupua is one of the region’s most popular routes at the moment. Being patient, respectful and aware of others helps make it a great experience for everyone.

Users keep path safe after incident

We’re extremely disappointed by a recent incident where rocks and a log were deliberately placed on the shared path.

This behaviour put path users at real risk and is both dangerous and unacceptable.

The path has traffic cameras which are monitored by the Wellington Transport Operations Centre for safety, and incidents like this will continue to be referred to Police.

We’d like to thank the path users who quickly cleared the debris and helped keep the route safe for others.

How it connects to the wider network

This new 5-metre wide path gives people a much safer way to walk, run, ride, or roll between Wellington and Lower Hutt. It also connects with other walking and cycling facilities such as Thorndon Quay in Wellington, the Petone to Melling (Pito-One to Melling) cycleway, Petone Esplanade, and the Hutt River Trail.

More information is below or on the Connecting to the Ngauranga to Petone page on our website.

Remember improvements on the shared path at the intersection of Jarden Mile and Hutt Road at Ngauranga will be ongoing through to July.

Alliance awarded Excellence in Environmental Outcomes

Te Ara Tupua has been recognised for its commitment to the environment.

The Alliance delivering the Ngauranga to Petone section of Te Ara Tupua project received an Excellence Award in Enivronmental Outcomes from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council.

The ISC Rating Scheme is used across New Zealand and Australia to assess sustainability performance across a project’s full lifecycle. It measures outcomes across governance, the economy, the environment, culture and community, and innovation.

The Alliance was recognised for transformating coastal infrastructure into active environmental restoration.