We're relocating cables and substations to make room for a new bridge, stop banks, and shared paths as part of the Te Awa Kairangi project.

About the project

Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi is a transformational project for Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai - Lower Hutt. It includes:

• Crucial flood protection and river restoration work
• Improvements to public transport, walking & cycling routes, local roads and the SH2 Melling Interchange
• Urban revitalisation of the Lower Hutt city centre and a new pedestrian bridge over the river

Te Awa Kairangi is a partnership between iwi Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Greater Wellington, Hutt City Council and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Check out the official project website for more information at teawakairangi.co.nz.

Wellington Electricity's involvement

To enable these works, Wellington Electricity has been requested to relocate substations and underground electricity cables currently within the construction zone. This ensures that the electricity network remains safe and reliable while the flood protection upgrades take place.

Important note about timing and distances

All timings, work locations, and distances provided below are indicative only. They may change due to weather conditions or other factors that can arise during underground excavation.

We’ll update this page regularly to keep you informed. For the most current information, please check back often.

Typical hours of work:

• Day works: 7:30am – 6:00pm, Monday to Saturday
• Night works: 7:00pm – 5:00am, Monday to Saturday (only in some industrial areas)
• No work on Sundays or public holidays

Christmas shutdown: All work will pause mid-December to mid-January (dates confirmed closer to the time)

Traffic management and access:

• At least one lane will remain open where possible
• Access to businesses, homes, and riverside pathways will be maintained
• Lane closures and stop/go operations will be used.

Where we'll be working

Our involvement will be delivered in three sections to minimise disruption, keep access open wherever possible, and complete the project as quickly and safely as we can. Each section will involve trenching, cable removal or installation, and reinstatement of surfaces.

Please see a map below of the three sections and the routes they take.

Key:

Section 1: Connolly Street to Dudley Street

Timing: November 2025 to April 2026

What’s happening:

• We’ll be digging trenches, removing cables, then reinstating the surface once the cables are removed.
• Four crews will be working at once to minimise disruption and to complete work as quickly as safely possible.
• Two daytime crews  operating, spaced apart for safety and to reduce congestion around each work site. At time 
• Night time crews may be working 

Crew locations:

• Day crew 1: Starting at Connolly St substation working towards Melling Link Rd roundabout.
• Day crew 2: Starting on Rutherford St past Harvey Norman heading towards Dudley St.
• Night crew 3: Starting Melling Link Rd roundabout working towards Melling Bridge along Rutherford.
• Night crew 4: Starting Melling Bridge working towards stop bank at Repco and across roundabout towards Queens Dr (past Harvey Norman) along Rutherford.

Section 2: Marsden Street to Queens Drive

Timing: November 2025 to April 2026

What’s happening:

• We’ll be digging trenches, installing new cable ducts, and reinstating the surface as we go.
• We’ll have three daytime crews working at once to minimise disruption and to complete work as quickly as possible.
• Each crew will be spaced apart for safety and to reduce congestion around each work site. No night works are currently planned for this stage.

Day crews:

• Crew 1: Starting under Ewen Bridge and working eastwards.
• Crew 2: Starting on Marsden Street and working towards the east abutment of Ewen Bridge.
• Crew 3: Starting from the west abutment of Ewen Bridge and continuing towards Queens Drive.

Section 3: Dudley Street to Queens Drive

Section 3 is scheduled to commence in March 2026, with more detail available closer to the time.

Project updates

5 February 2026: Cable replacement work in Marsden Street has progressed well and has been completed ahead of schedule.  

Work on Market Grove is complete apart from some line marking, but we’re still working in the carpark (Ward Street) as we’re completing the drill shot across the roundabout from Queens Drive/Ewen Bridge roundabout  

We’re currently working in Daly Street, moving into High Street and finishing at the intersection of High Street and Laings Road. To carry out this work safely, traffic management is in place, which includes the loss of some parking, and temporary single-lane closures in Daly Street and High Street. This work is expected to be completed by March.

We’re also currently working on Ewen Bridge, and have closed the on ramp along as one lane across the bridge Bridge, to allow work to take place on the carriageway and in the river corridor beneath.  We expect the on ramp to be closed until mid-February, and the bridge lane closure to be in place for roughly 4 weeks. When work takes part above pedestrian footpaths, crews will be providing alternative footpaths and managing people through the work site.

While we work on the bridge we’ll also be continuing trenching off Ewen Bridge and into Queens Drive. This will need a temporary single-lane closure on the Queens Drive, Railway Ave & Woburn Rd roundabout. We expect this work to be completed by mid-February.

·        We expect to begin work on Queens Drive on Wednesday, 11 February, starting at the Queens Drive/High Street roundabout. To carry out this work safely, both northbound lanes on Queens Drive will need to be closed, along with the section of High Street between Queens Drive and Daly Street. This work is expected to be completed by mid-March, following which crews will continue into the CBD via Laings Road, High Street, and Andrews Avenue

29 January 2026: Cable replacement work in Marsden Street has progressed well and has been completed ahead of schedule. Work in Market Grove is also progressing well, and our crews are now working on a trenchless installation out of Market Grove, across the Queens Drive roundabout.

Due to being slightly ahead of schedule, we'll begin work on Daly Street on Monday 2 February, moving into High Street and finishing at the intersection of High Street and Laings Road. This work is expected to be completed by March.

To carry out this work safely, temporary traffic will need to be set up. This will include the loss of some parking, and temporary single-lane closures in Daly Street and High Street.

While the Daly Street single-lane closure is in place, vehicles will only be able to enter Daly from the High street end. When work moves into High Street, a single-lane closure will be in place between Daly Street and Laings Road. During this time, vehicles won’t be able to enter High Street from the Daly Street end. Traffic will be detoured via Daly Street, right onto Andrews Street, and back onto High Street. Vehicles approaching from Laings Road will only be able to turn left onto High Street.

Signage will be displayed showing recommended alternative routes around the work zone.

Also from Monday next week, we'll be closing one lane across Ewen Bridge, which will be in place for roughly 4 weeks. This is to allow work to take place on the carriageway and in the river corridor beneath. When work takes part above pedestrian footpaths, crews will be providing alternative footpaths and managing people through the work site. 

After the work on Ewen Bridge has been completed, work will progress through the CBD, following the approximate programme.

Queens Drive - Mid February to March

Laings Roadd - March

High Street - March to April

Andrews Avenue – April

22 January 2026: Night works will be beginning on Rutherford Street between Queens Drive and Melling Road on Sunday 26 January. These works will take roughly 10-15 working nights to complete, and hours of work will be 7:00pm to 5:30am. 

The Ewen Bridge on ramp, along with a single lane across the bridge, will be closing from Monday 26 January until March to allow the work to be carried out safely. While this work takes place, buses will be diverted onto Aglionby St, Bridge St, Leary St & Herbert St, and some parking will need to be removed.

19 December 2025: The second section of work is scheduled to begin on Monday 12 January, starting at Marsden Street and Market Grove, before moving east across Ewen Bridge. Aglionby Street, Laings Road, High Street, Andrews Avenue, Queens Drive, and Dudley Street will also be affected as work progresses. If your home or business is on the route, you’ll receive a letter from us at least 5 days before the work begins in your area. 

8 December 2025: Friday 12 December will be the last day of work before our crews pause for the Christmas period. Their first day of work after the break will be Monday 5 January resuming on Connolly and Rutherford streets.

3 December 2025: Trenching work will begin on Rutherford Street on Monday 8 December. To carry out this work safely, we may need to set up temporary traffic management which could include temporary lane closures, stop/go vehicle management, or removal of some parking. 

28 November 2025: The first section of cable relocation work on Connolly Street will be starting on Monday 1 December.  We've installed VMS boards to alert road users ahead of the works, and residents and businesses along the work route will be notified via a letter drop at least five days before work begins in their area. To carry out this work safely, we may need to set up temporary traffic management which could include temporary lane closures, stop/go vehicle management, or removal of some parking. If you’re travelling into the CBD from outside the city, you may wish to consider an alternative route.