SH1 Wellington Improvements

17 November 2025

Second Mount Victoria Tunnel proposed design (November 2025)

Engagement on proposed design now open

Community engagement for the SH1 Wellington Improvements project is now open until Sunday 14 December 2025.  

You can find out more about the proposed design on our website or join us at one of our public information days in different venues across Wellington city. 

An online survey is available for you to provide your feedback.

• SH1 Wellington Improvements community engagement

Public information days

Join our friendly team for a look at the proposed design and learn more about how it will help deliver faster and more reliable state highway journeys through Wellington.

We'll have large-scale maps and imagery of the different sections of the project as well as a flythrough. Our transport experts will be on hand to answer your questions.

Information day schedule

• Sunday 23 November 
  Harbourside Markets, Wellington Waterfront (8am - 12pm)
   
• Wednesday 26 November
  St Joseph's Church, Mt Victoria (3pm - 7pm)
   
• Saturday 29 November
  Toitū Pōneke, Kilbirnie (9am - 1pm)  
   
• Monday 1 December 
  Thistle Hall, Te Aro (1pm - 5pm)
   
• Wednesday 3 December
  All Saints Church Hall, Hataitai (3pm - 7pm)
   
• Saturday 6 December
  Mt Cook School Gym, Mt Cook (2pm - 5pm) 

Accessibility: All our venues are wheelchair accessible. If you are planning to attend one of our events and have any other accessibility needs you’d like us to be aware of, please email us at SH1WgtnImprovements@nzta.govt.nz

Basin Reserve proposed design (November 2025)

SH1 Wellington Improvements: Project overview

The SH1 Wellington Improvements Road of National Significance (RoNS) project will alleviate some of Wellington’s longstanding bottlenecks delivering faster and more reliable state highway journeys and driving regional economic growth.

It includes a second Terrace Tunnel, a second Mount Victoria Tunnel, a major roading upgrade at the Basin Reserve, and improvements to the state highway corridor through central Wellington and through Hataitai and Kilbirnie.  

Having an efficient and reliable state highway network is critical to the Wellington region. It provides people with access to business, employment and education hubs in central Wellington, as well as Wellington International Airport and Wellington Regional Hospital.  

SH1 through Wellington city is already heavily congested at peak times causing delays and unpredictable journey times and increasing traffic on local roads as people seek alternative routes. Without investment, as the regional population grows, travel times and reliability will worsen, hampering productivity and restricting economic growth. 

In August 2025, the NZTA Board endorsed an investment case for the SH1 Wellington Improvements project and approved funding for the next phase of the project’s development. This next phase - pre-implementation - is expected to take approximately 3 years.

This project is listed in the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024. We expect to lodge our consent applications in mid-2026.

The community engagement programme of information days happening though November and December 2025 is just part of ongoing engagement NZTA has underway. Extensive engagement continues with iwi partners, councils, landowners and other key stakeholders.

More information

For more information on the SH1 Wellington Improvements project, contact us at SH1WgtnImprovements@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/sh1-wellington-improvements