Cable works continue in Lower Hutt

Since mid-November 2025 major works have been underway in Lower Hutt as part of Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi.

To make way for the new Melling Bridge, stop banks, and shared pathways, Wellington Electricity have been trenching key roads within the city centre to lay ducts to relocate underground electricity cables inside the construction zone.

The work needs to be done before major construction gets underway, to help avoid future disruption and keep the wider project on track. 

Progress update and next steps

The ducting works are expected to be complete by 30 April 2026. Wellington Electricity will then begin digging a series of individual access pits (called joint bays) along the route, so that the news cables can be fed through them. The ducts needed to be in place before cable hauling could begin, and these jobs could not be performed at the same time.

The work is expected to be completed by August 2026.

Impacted roads: Connolly Street, Rutherford Street, Dudley Street, Andrews Avenue, Daly Street, Queens Street roundabout (southern end of the city), Marsden Street.

What to expect

The work will involve digging several large joint bays at selected locations along the route (see the map at the bottom of this page), before hauling the new electricity cables through them.

Crews will work on the joint bays in stages, and will move back and forth between the bays which are situated along the route as each stage is completed.

Here's how it will work

1. Excavate the pit down to the ducts and cut the ducts open.

2. Move on to open the next pit in the sequence and repeat.

3. Return to clean the ducts and haul the cables through.

4. Join the cables together once they’ve been hauled.

5. Fill in the joint bay and fully repair the footpath and road surfaces.

Because of this staged approach, there will be times when a joint bay has been opened and is not being actively worked on.

In these circumstances, an open joint bay left unattended will be securely closed off with site fencing and surrounded by traffic management until work can be completed and the site fully reinstated.

Weather and ground conditions permitting, it is likely that some joint bays could be open for up to six weeks.

Occasionally, there may be delays or work may need to be rescheduled due to other factors that can arise during underground excavation.

What you will see and hear

There may be some moderate noise from the equipment used, and Wellington Electricity will do their best to keep disruption to a minimum while fully complying with all noise regulations.

To carry out this work safely, they may need to set up temporary traffic management in your area, which will include temporary lane closures, stop/go vehicle management, and removal of parking on both sides of the road where work is taking place.

This traffic management will be in place 24/7 for the duration of the works, but are to expected have a reduced footprint than what was in place for the previous trenching work.

Indicative traffic management maps and up-to-date timelines for each joint bay site will be available here: www.welectricity.co.nz/major-projects/teawakairangi

Access to residences and businesses will be maintained, however in some cases this will need to be managed by the traffic management supervisor. If Wellington Electricity need to block your access to your driveway as part of the work, they will knock on your door the day before work begins.

To ensure your safety, please follow all signage and crew instructions while the work is underway, and make sure that children and animals are kept well clear of the area until completion.