Work to improve electricity network resilience and increase drinking water services is being carried out for the fast-growing eastern suburbs.
To do this quickly and efficiently, Waitangirua Link Road has been temporarily closed for up to five months, with a partial closure of Te Ara Kāpehu (formerly Whitby) Link Road to be done once this work is complete.
Waitangirua and Te Ara Kāpehu link roads water and electricity upgrades
Porirua City Council, Wellington Electricity, Wellington Water and Kāinga Ora are teaming up to carry out critical infrastructure service upgrades along link roads, at the same time. These upgrades will increase resilience and supply for local residents and will benefit Porirua as a whole, but will cause traffic disruption during the work, with road and lane closures.
Construction programme and timeframes
The Waitangirua and Te Ara Kāpehu (Whitby) Link Roads Project started on 4 November 2024, and will take about seven months to complete both stages.
Stage 1 – Waitangirua Link Road – full closure from 4 November 2024
The first stage of the construction work has started, with the full closure of Waitangirua Link Road (from Warspite Avenue to the T-junction with Te Ara Kāpehu. This stage is expected to take up to five months to complete.
During the closure, drinking water pipes will be laid, along with cabling for electricity network upgrades.
While the road is closed, Council will also take the opportunity to remove wilding pine trees, clear vegetation and install signage for the increased speed limit on the Waitangirua Link Road, which is being raised to 60km/h as part of the Speed Management Plan for Porirua City.
Once the cabling and pipework is completed, the road will be fully resurfaced.
We encourage motorists to plan their journeys using alternative routes and allow extra time and appreciate everyone’s patience while this important work is carried out.
Work to lay drinking water pipes and electricity ducts along Waitangirua Link Road is well underway, with more than 250m of trenching, pipe and duct laying completed.
While some unexpected ground conditions and wet weather has slowed us down, the JFC contract team is making good progress and is currently reinstating the lower base layers of the trench.
Over the next few weeks, it will be more of the same with trenching, pipe and duct laying, and reinstating base layers as the team moves up the road.
The electronic vehicle message boards will be taken down over the next week or so and replaced with static project information boards.
If you have any questions please contact us on [email protected]
Stage 2 – Te Ara Kāpehu (formerly the Whitby) Link Road – partial closure
The second stage of work will take place along Te Ara Kāpehu Link Road (between the Silverbrooke development and the T-junction with Waitangirua Link Road) also to lay water pipes and power cabling. This work is scheduled to happen once the first stage is complete, and the Waitangirua Link Road is back open. The intention is that one lane will remain open, with traffic management measures in place for about two months.
During both closures, drinking water pipes will be laid, along with cabling for electricity network upgrades.
The new power cables will allow future capacity increases, anticipating housing growth as this area continues to expand.
An additional 2.4 km of drinking water pipes will connect to the new, larger reservoir being built at the end of Stemhead Lane.
The reservoir will cater for future demand on Porirua’s drinking water network and improve network resilience by adding a second connection to upper Whitby and providing capacity in case of an emergency. These upgrades also reduce and ultimately remove current reliance on pump stations.
The new reservoir is planned for construction in the first half of 2025 and will be delivered by Te Rā Nui. It will increase the amount of water available from 4.5 million litres to 13.5 million litres.
Why is the Waitangirua Link Road being completely closed temporarily? Why not keep one lane open or have traffic management in place?
For the work to be completed as quickly and efficiently as possible, the decision has been made to fully close the road from 4 November 2024, so work crews have unimpeded access to the site. If we were to keep the road partially open the work would take considerably longer and cost considerably more.
Why wasn’t this work done at the time the link roads were being built as part of Transmission Gully motorway?
At the time of building the Transmission Gully link roads, water and electricity infrastructure wasn’t installed because no one knew either the scale and/or timing of residential development and the new reservoir had not been planned. The eastern parts of Porirua have been growing quickly and the new reservoir is being built in 2025. We are working together with all parties using a ‘dig once’ approach to try and minimise disruption as much as possible.
Will the work be disruptive for regular users of the roads?
Yes, road and lane closures will be disruptive for regular users of the link roads, and individuals and businesses living and operating in the area.
The level of disruption depends on where people are going, where they’re leaving from and what else is happening at the time. Our traffic modelling shows there may be some hotspots but they are likely to be minimal and only at peak times.
To keep disruption to a minimum, we are working together using a ‘dig once’ approach to get water and electricity upgrades done at the same time. Teaming up to do this infrastructure work means we only need to close the road once, rather than twice, which would have been more inconvenient to road users,
We encourage motorists to plan their journeys using alternative routes and allow extra time.
Will the road be resurfaced?
Yes, this is likely to be done in two stages and will mostly be chipseal. Stage one will be resurfacing the one lane where the road has been dug up to accommodate the new pipes and cables. Current areas of the road that are failing will be repaired. Stage two will happen a year later once this new surface has bedded in. Then the Council will come back and resurface both lanes of the road. Stage two will result in minimal disruption – likely just a few days of traffic management measures in place.
What other work is being done?
Warspite Avenue/Niagara Street intersection
From Monday 13 January 2025 we will be laying electricity ducting and water pipes in the Warspite Avenue/Niagara Street intersection.
This is a part of the Waitangirua Link Road works and will take about two months to complete.
What to expect:
- Niagara Street will be one way during weekday working hours – accessible by turning into it from Warspite Avenue.
- Stop/go measures will be in place on Warspite Avenue during weekday working hours.
- Work will only happen during weekday working hours. Both roads will be accessible after hours and in the weekends.
Navigation Drive/Schooner Drive works
From Monday 13 January 2025 we will be installing two manholes on the grass verge adjacent to the existing pump station on Navigation Drive, Whitby.
This is a part of Te Ara Kāpehu Link Road (formerly known as the Whitby Link Road) works and will take about one month to complete.
What to expect:
- Minimal disruption with shoulder closures – essentially traffic will be free-flowing.
- Following completion, there will be short, planned, water shutdowns that the residents will be notified about closer to the time. These may occur some time after completion.
Is a more detailed version of the map available?
Yes, you can download it here [jpg, 2MB].
I have a question, who do I contact?
Email [email protected]
If people are asking the same questions, we'll add them to our FAQs.
I want to be kept up to date as the project progresses. How do I do that?
Email [email protected] and ask to be added to our mailing list.
