Tōtara Park Road Bridge Pipework Seismic Strengthening
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Wellington Water, 04 912 4400
Latest Updates
Crews have started on the first phase of works, which involves installing a water pipe (known as a ridermain) along Clouston Park Road and Tōtara Park Road
On behalf of Upper Hutt City Council, we will be replacing the drinking water and wastewater pipes underneath the Tōtara Park Bridge, as well as upgrading the pipe connections at both ends of the bridge to provide greater earthquake resilience.
The current pipes are nearing the end of their life, and need to be replaced to ensure reliable supply of drinking water, and wastewater services for the Totara Park community. The new pipes are more flexible and better equipped to withstand seismic events.
On behalf of Upper Hutt City Council, we are replacing the drinking water and wastewater pipes underneath the Tōtara Park Bridge, as well as upgrading the pipe connections at both ends of the bridge to provide greater earthquake resilience.
The current pipes are nearing the end of their life, and need to be replaced to ensure reliable supply of drinking water, and wastewater services for the Totara Park community. The new pipes are more flexible and better equipped to withstand seismic events.
Here’s the key things to keep in mind about the upcoming works:
- Work is now underway along Clouston Park Road and Tōtara Park Road.
- The project is expected to be completed by around January 2027.
- During the works, Fulton Hogan crews will be working on and near the bridge, including Tōtara Park Road and the grassed area close to Clouston Park Road.
- The works will generate some noise, particularly during pipe thrusting which is taking placed in the grassed area close to Clouston Park Road. Noise will be kept to a minimum, and limited to standard working hours only (Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm).
- Traffic management will be in place to ensure safety. We will provide more information closer to the time with more details on this including the expected impact (i.e. on parking, partial road closures etc.)
- There will be no direct impact on the State Highway traffic, as we are replacing the pipe underneath the road, using a ‘pipe thrusting’ technique.
- Signage and traffic controllers will be in site and will indicate areas to avoid for safety reasons.
- We will need to temporarily close a small section of pathway close to the bridge used for recreational purposes (i.e. walkers, bikers) for safety reasons although walkers and bikers will still be able to safely make their way past the site by following sign directions.
- Water supply will need to be shutdown for short periods of time, while we connect the new pipework to the existing network at either end of the bridge. We will notify you in advance of any planned shutdown.
What does this project involve?
We are replacing the drinking and wastewater pipes beneath the Tōtara Park Bridge, and connecting these pipes to the network at both ends of the bridge too. This stretches from the north side of the Tōtara Park Road Bridge, to the intersection of Tōtara Park and Clouston Park Road.
Why are we replacing the pipes underneath the bridge?
The pipes underneath the bridge are old, and in poor condition. Assessments show that these need to be replaced as a priority so that the Tōtara Park community continue to receive a reliable and resilient supply of drinking water, and that wastewater is safely moved away from Tōtara Park Bridge to wastewater treatment facilities.
The current pipes are susceptible to a major earthquake. The new pipes and the brackets along the bridge are designed to IL4, equivalent to a 2,500-year return period earthquake event.
Why don’t we replace the entire bridge while we do this work?
Wellington Water are solely responsible for operating the water network on behalf of Upper Hutt City Council.
Upper Hutt City Council owns the bridge and is responsible for making decisions on any investment related to this asset, including any potential future replacement, or work to widen the bridge.
What happens if we didn’t replace the bridge pipes?
These pipes are the only mechanism to serve all Tōtara Park, so they provide a critical supply of safe drinking water, and the safe movement of wastewater away from the area. If we don’t replace these pipes now, a major earthquake could put at risk the supply of drinking water to all of Tōtara Park, and increase public and environmental health risk (i.e. should the wastewater pipes break, leading to leaks and discharges). This is a critical risk given the pipe’s location above the Te Awa Kairangi – Hutt River.
Who’s doing the work?
Wellington Water is leading this project on behalf of Upper Hutt City Council.
WSP and Egis are providing specialist engineering advice and oversight.
Fulton Hogan crews are leading the construction on the ground.
Why is the work being timed over winter, when river levels are generally at their highest?
We’re prioritising this work given the critical urgency to replace the pipes. We have all the safety precautions in place to manage higher than usual river levels during winter.
But wouldn’t a major earthquake damage the whole bridge structure, and therefore damage the pipes anyway?
The pipes and the brackets along the bridge are designed to IL4, equivalent to a 2,500-year return period earthquake event. In the event of a major earthquake, the watermain pipe would fail at predicted locations (where the flex tends are) and will easily be reconnected after the earthquake. This is how the resilience is built into the design.
Upper Hutt City Council is best to comment on the earthquake resilience of the bridge itself, including any potential investment into the asset itself.
Is there a risk that while doing the work, wastewater could spill into the Te Awa Kairangi – Hutt River?
A significant amount of detailed engineering and specialist knowledge are undertaking the work, means that the risk of this occurring is extremely low. All the required risk mitigations are in place.
I’m concerned with the environmental impact along the river – will this cause any damage?
We have actively engaged with Greater Wellington Regional Council regarding the environmental impact of this work.
Greater Wellington has approved the resource consent and Flood Management Plan for this work. We have also engaged with our mana whenua iwi partners on this work too.
When do you expect to complete the project?
We’re scheduled to be completed by February 2027.
How will this impact the Tōtara Park community, and nearby areas?
The Tōtara Park community will continue to receive a reliable supply of drinking water, and wastewater services will continue as usual.
There will be short periods of time when we’ll need to temporarily turn off water in specific areas. We’ll let you know in advance when this will be. These usually last around 6-7 hours while we connect new pipes. They’ll be mainly around Clouston Park Road and Tōtara Park Road (on either side of the bridge).
There’ll be an increased presence of crews along the bridge while we take out the existing pipes and install the new ones. We’ll be installing scaffolding underneath the bridge while we install the new pipes.
The main area where crews will setup is in Te Awakairangi Park, including its carparks.
This will reduce the amount of parking spaces available at the Awakairangi Park Road carpark, just behind Tōtara Park School. We have been in touch with the school about this and will work to minimise impact as much as we can – knowing that the carpark is often used by parents to drop off and pick up kids for school or for recreational purposes.
We will only be in the area during standard working hours, Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm.
What about traffic impacts?
There’ll be some traffic management in place along Clouston Park and Tōtara Park Road at times, while we install new pipes.
The good news is that we will not have to close the State Highway (with the exception of some night works for a short period of time). This is because we’re installing the new pipe underneath the highway, using a ‘pipe thrusting’ method. This means there’ll be no impact on State Highway traffic.
Will this generate noise?
The pipe thrusting method (used to force the new pipe underneath the State Highway, to connect to the bridge pipes) will generate vibration and noise. The work is happening along the bank behind Clouston Park Road properties, and close to the Hutt River Trail.
We thank local residents for your understanding. We will work to keep noise as low as possible and progress the work as soon as we can. We’ll be in touch closer to the time with more information.
All noise is within approved resource consent limits.
Will any work take place at night?
Yes – some of the works will involve night works for a short period of time. This will impact SH2 near the Tōtara Park intersection and the wastewater pump station on Tōtara Park Road north of the bridge We’ll be in touch closer to the time with more information.
The majority of work is taking place during the day, Monday to Friday.
What about the Hutt Trail, will this be closed?
We will need to set up a small bypass to allow walkers and cyclists to safely go past the work area. We’ll have a temporary track set up, and signage letting you know where to go. The trail will remain open at all times.
I play sport at the Awakairangi (Bridge) Park – will this be impacted?
No – sport will not be affected.
You’ll notice more crews in the area, and we’ll be away from the area during the busy weekend period. We are aware of a touch tournament that takes place on Wednesdays – we’ll work to minimise disruption at this time.
Who do I contact if I have any questions?
Please email engagement@wellingtonwater.co.nz for any general project queries.
For day-to-day queries regarding the work and ongoing impact of construction, please contact Fulton Hogan on 022 515 0511 or 027 244 2299.
All Updates
Work is underway on the Tōtara Park Road Bridge Seismic Strengthening Project, with crews installing a new water pipe (known as a ridermain) along sections of Clouston Park Road, and Tōtara Park Road (near the State Highway Two intersection.)
This work will have a minor impact on traffic and will generate some noise - we'll work to keep this to a minimum.
Here's where Fulton Hogan crews are replacing the ridermain, along Tōtara Park Road in between Clouston Park Road and the State Highway, as well as along Clouston Park Road itself.
Thank you to local residents for your patience and understanding while we complete this important work.
