Transit New Zealand
Wellington Regional Office

MEDIA RELEASE
11 DECEMBER 2006

Walk the Bypass

Members of the public who have been wondering what has been happening inside the construction site for the past two years will have an opportunity to Walk the Bypass at public open days planned for the weekend of 16 and 17 December. being run by local Wellington Rotary Clubs.

The site will be open between 10am and 3pm, giving members of the public a once in a lifetime opportunity to walk through the new trough structure which forms part of the new northbound route of the SH1 Wellington Inner City Bypass. Public can enter from Cuba, Victoria and Willis Streets.

“The new heritage precinct, where many of the restored buildings now sit, will also be open for the first time,” said Transit NZ Project Manager Jonnette Adams.

“Minister of Transport Hon Annette King and Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast will unveil the new road signs for both the precinct and the new Bypass road at 1.00pm on Saturday 16 December at the Cuba Street end,” she said.

Local Wellington Rotary Clubs have combined to organise food and drink stalls on-site with entry being by gold coin donation. All proceeds will go to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.

The northbound route will be opened to traffic on Thursday 28th December 2006.

www.wicb.co.nz

About the Wellington Inner City Bypass

 The SH1 Wellington Inner City Bypass will provide a safer, more efficient route between the southern and eastern suburbs and the northern gateway to Wellington. It will re-route cross-city traffic away from Ghuznee Street and the heart of the inner city and Cuba Street area.

 The northbound section is a one-way, two-lane road at ground level, with dedicated turning lanes and a 50km/h speed limit (until just past the Willis Street intersection, heading north, where the speed limit will increase to 80km/h and the road will be gradually lowered beneath Vivian Street). Existing roads will be altered and redefined, and 700 metres of new road will be constructed along with 1080 metres of new footpath and cycleway.

 A total of 23 heritage buildings are to be preserved as part of the project at an estimated cost of $3.5 million. Of these, five will remain in place and 18 relocated and restored, with one taken down and reconstructed using materials still in good condition.

- Buildings of similar age and style will be kept together, preserved and restored with their original orientation and access maintained wherever possible. A historic precinct will be created adjoining Footscray Avenue for those we have to move.

- Transit will install three new sets of traffic signals, build a new motorway on-ramp at Willis/Abel Smith Streets and move the current motorway off-ramp from Ghuznee Street to Vivian Street. A new link between Cuba Street and Willis Street will also be created.

- Wellington City Council’s Te Aro Stormwater main will start at the Taranaki St end of Arthur St, progress along the northern side of Arthur St, across Cuba St and along the route of the bypass until Willis Street, where the main has been laid up Palmer Street to Te Aro Park.

- Construction of the project is expected to be completed mid 2007.

ENDS

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