Caption: The permanent roundabout at Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive was completed in June 2024 – helping to make it easier and safer for all road users to travel to and from the city centre.
Improving Kenepuru corridor and surrounding streets
Porirua City is growing, and we’re doing a lot of work to manage the increased traffic following the opening of Transmission Gully, other growth in the area and existing trip generators like Kenepuru Hospital and commercial businesses. Access Kenepuru encompasses a suite of improvements, some already completed, some currently underway and others planned for when future funding becomes available.
August 2024: Access Kenepuru programme update
The Access Kenepuru programme of work was reviewed as part of the Long-Term Plan (LTP), 2024-34.
This has impacted our individual projects in different ways with some subject to deferral until future funding is available.
What this means for our four remaining projects:
We will keep you informed on these projects via this web page and through updates.
Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection fully reopened
The new permanent roundabout at the Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection has fully reopened – one week ahead of schedule and on budget.
Some final finishing touches – green markings for the on-road cycle area and cycle ramps onto the shared path – will be carried out in a couple of months, once the respective surfaces have had time to settle.
We’d like to thank our contractor, Downer, for working diligently to complete this work ahead of time with minimal disruption to road users and nearby businesses, and for the patience of those road users and businesses while the project was completed.
This project capitalises on the safety improvements realised when the temporary roundabout was installed in late 2020.
It is also another step towards improving Kenepuru Drive and its surrounding streets; making it easier and safer for all road users, including public transport, to travel to and from the city centre.
Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection upgrade
Work is progressing well on the permanent roundabout at the Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have finished pouring the concrete for all the new paths and installed the new street lighting around the project. Night work has progressed well although Wellington Water is trying to trace a major watermain leak that we reported. As long as that leak is detected and fixed quickly, we plan to complete the base layer of the road this week.
Over the next fortnight, we will be installing raised traffic islands, asphalting the final road surface and starting on the landscaping work.
We are currently on track to complete work by early July.
Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection upgrade
Work continues to progress well on the permanent roundabout at the Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection.
Over the past couple of weeks we have installed (and turned on) the new streetlights on the Kenepuru Hospital corner and Kenepuru Drive sections of the roundabout. We have finished the footpath on the business side of Kenepuru Drive. We began work on the final corner of the roundabout (left-hand side of Raiha St) where we have removed the streetlight poles, prepped the shared path and poured the new kerb and channel.
Coming up we will be pouring the shared path on the left-hand side of Raiha St. From Monday 27 May we begin night work to mill and pave the road surface around the roundabout. The work will take about five days and will be done in sections at night. There will be stop/go traffic management in place while the crew is operating. With work happening at night there will be minimal activity on site during the day, but traffic management will remain in place.
Work completed and planned
Work continues to progress well on the permanent roundabout at the Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection.
Over the past couple of weeks we have been working on the business side of Kenepuru Drive. We have installed new drainage and constructed the new kerb and channel. Concrete has been poured this week for the new footpath and temporary asphalt laid on a portion of the carriageway.
Next week we will be installing the new streetlights on the Kenepuru Hospital corner and Kenepuru Drive sections of the roundabout – all going well we should be able to reconnect and turn these on next week as well. Once the streetlights are moved on the business side of Kenepuru Drive the final sections of the footpath can be completed. We will provide a temporary surface for pedestrians and cyclists until this work is complete.
Next week we also begin work on the final (southern) corner of the roundabout – this will involve excavating for the shared path and constructing the new kerb and channel.
Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection upgrade
Over the past couple of weeks, work has progressed well on the Kenepuru Hospital corner of Raiha St and Kenepuru Drive. We’ve constructed all the kerb and channel, concreted the shared path in this section, and removed the streetlight poles on this corner. We are preparing the berm for topsoil and grassing, and we’re adjusting the temporary line markings on Raiha St back to the previous alignment. Once the new streetlight poles arrive, we’ll be installing and reconnecting these in early May.
Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be working on the next section on the business side of Kenepuru Drive. Work will include locating underground services, installing drainage, and starting construction of the new kerb and channel and shared path.
Please note: During these works, pedestrian on Kenepuru Drive will need to use the crossing on Raiha St. To make sure the crossing point is safe we will be providing a temporary pedestrian refuge on Raiha St.
Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection upgrade
Here’s a brief update on progress to replace the temporary roundabout with permanent features at the Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection.
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve excavated and prepped the new kerb and channel on the Hospital corner of Raiha St and Kenepuru Drive. We’ve also started removing the streetlight poles on this corner. There will be a period of up to 6-8 weeks where lighting on this corner won’t be operational.
Over the next couple of weeks, weather permitting, we will be pouring the concrete kerb and channel, and constructing the shared path on the same corner. We plan to move to the next section of work, on the business side of Kenepuru Drive, from about 22 April.
Work to replace the temporary roundabout with permanent features at the Raiha St / Kenepuru Drive intersection is going well.
So far, we’ve been working at night but from Monday 25 March we’ll mostly be working during the day.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have focused on constructing the new roundabout. This has included all the preparation work and completion of the new central island, mountable kerb and concrete apron around the roundabout.
We have also removed the pedestrian refuge on Raiha St to allow for two lanes of traffic approaching the roundabout. A temporary refuge will be created during the work and a permanent pedestrian refuge will be installed later as part of the final design.
Over the next few weeks, weather permitting, we will be excavating the shared path on Raiha St (Kenepuru Hospital side) and replacing the kerb and channel.
Street lighting
Next week we will begin relocating the streetlights on the hospital side of Raiha St. These light poles need to be disconnected, moved out of the footprint of the new shared path and then reconnected. There will be a period of up to 6-8 weeks where lighting on this corner won’t be operational.
Please note there will be no work on the site over Easter Weekend.
For more information:
We're replacing the temporary roundabout at the Raiha Street / Kenepuru Drive intersection with permanent features.
Overnight works started last week, and we're planning to start day works later in the month.
This week we removed part of the temporary traffic islands and signage, deconstructed the temporary roundabout, and started work on the new roundabout.
Next week, weather permitting, we'll be pouring the concrete for the kerbs and the permanent roundabout.
Later this month we'll be starting to work during the day on the hospital side of the roundabout.
For more information:
Possible deferral of some Access Kenepuru projects
Like many Council projects, the Access Kenepuru programme of work is being reviewed as Council looks to manage rates rises in the next Long-Term Plan (LTP) period, 2024-34 (see here for the media release).
This affects our individual projects in different ways with some subject to deferral. Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until late June 2024 what the confirmed budget phasing for the next stages of our projects will be (i.e. after public consultation on the LTP).
What this means for our four projects:
Lower Main Drive accessway
We’re receiving great feedback following the opening of the new accessway on Lower Main Drive for Bishop Viard College, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Te Ngākau Tapu Parish. We’ve also finished construction of a new carpark for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
This work was required because the existing accessways for the college, church and parish off Kenepuru Drive needed to be closed to enable future upgrades to the Kenepuru Drive intersections with Lower Main Drive / Lyttelton Ave and Titahi Bay Road. These intersection upgrades are currently in the planning and design stage.
Kenepuru Dr intersections with Lyttelton Ave, Lower Main Dr, and Titahi Bay Rd
Improvements in this area will make it easier and safer for all users to get to and from the Kenepuru development and the city centre and will keep traffic moving safely and efficiently. This is going to be especially important over the coming years as growth is expected to continue.
Why are we proposing these changes?
These intersections and side roads are already very busy and significant growth in the area is seeing more people walking and cycling which in turn puts increasing demand on existing crossing points. This growth, as well as changes in traffic patterns and volumes along Kenepuru Dr is causing delays for motorists and safety concerns for all road users wishing to cross Kenepuru Dr.
Development of Kenepuru Landing and Summerset on the Landing means the Lower Main Dr / Kenepuru Dr intersection needs upgrading to provide safe access for all road users and pedestrians, now and in the future. These improvements will also give residents and their visitors an alternative access to Bluff Rd and Hospital Dr and will enable public transport to service Kenepuru Landing and Summerset on the Landing.
Any work to improve the Kenepuru Dr intersections at Lower Main Dr will impact Lyttelton Ave and vice versa, hence why they are being investigated collectively and why the impacts on Titahi Bay Rd are being considered at the same time.
Project timeframe
We are currently reviewing concepts for Lower Main Dr and Lyttelton Ave intersections and looking at options for Titahi Bay Rd roundabout and assessing how they would all work together in both the current and longer timeframes with a view to progressing to detailed design this financial year and to be completed next year subject to funding.
The construction phase of the project is being reviewed as Council looks to manage rates rises in the current (LTP period), 2024-34 which could result in elements of this project being deferred.
As part of the Long-Term Plan (LTP) 2024-34 decisions, some of the Access Kenepuru projects have been deferred until future funding becomes available.
The Raiha St to Prosser St corridor is a busy part of the network with over 11,000 vehicle movements daily.
This corridor study has completed the early scoping stages to identify key issues and opportunities to improve safety and accessibility in this area. Subject to funding, this project will be progressed as a low cost / low risk, safety initiative.
Project timeframe
Options are being investigated with the intention to start implementing improvements from 25/26, subject to funding.
The permanent roundabout at the Raiha St / Kenepuru Dr intersection was completed in June 2024. This work capitalises on the safety improvements realised when the temporary roundabout was installed in late 2020 ahead of the opening of Transmission Gully.
This roundabout was completed in November 2021 and provides a safe turning and crossing point for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.
The access to Kenepuru Station has been transformed, with improved lighting, resurfacing, vegetation improvements around Porirua Stream, removal of trip hazards and the installation of art work.
Improvements to these intersections were completed in 2021 to manage the extra traffic volumes expected following the opening of Transmission Gully.
Work included:
A safe crossing point for north bound cyclists on Kenepuru Drive to access the Porirua Stream Pathway was completed in 2021.
