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NZ Transport Agency: Early Project Completion

19 November 2009


NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) officially celebrated the early completion of the SH2 Dowse to Petone Upgrade Project today.


NZTA Wellington Regional Director Deborah Hume says a plaque unveiling event was held this morning at the same site where the start of the project was hailed just over two years ago, at the base of Dowse Drive.


“It’s tremendous to return to the same place to celebrate the end of the project and be able to see the fruits of our labour,” Dr Hume says.


The celebration was attended by Transport Minister Hon Steven Joyce, MP Paul Quinn, Hutt City Mayor David Ogden, NZTA and the project team. Local iwi representatives from the Te Tatau O Te Po Marae also performed a karakia.


The changes the project made were appreciated by road users before work was completed once SH2’s three sets of traffic signals at Dowse Drive and Korokoro were removed. These were a frequent cause of delays and accidents on the highway and two issues that needed to be addressed by the project.


As well as establishing a new interchange at the base of Dowse Drive and a new overbidge at Korokoro, a new bridge and Park n Ride carpark at Petone Railway Station have been created. A new service lane behind the Korokoro Industrial Area has also been constructed along with improvements to Percy Scenic Reserve’s carpark and access.


“The project has been a massive undertaking given what needed to be built in such a confined space between the railway lines on one side and the hills on the other and also because of the need to work on a road that was continuously in use,” Dr Hume says.

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“It’s been a success in achieving all of this ahead of schedule, under budget and with tremendous positive support from the people who depend on the road for their daily travel. They would be the harshest critics and for them to embrace the work as it was undertaken is certainly worth celebrating.”


The project, which represents a more than $60 million investment in the region’s roading infrastructure, has been the biggest carried out in the Wellington region for some time. It also marked the start of further improvements on SH2 including the Muldoons Corner Easing work on Rimutaka Hill, SH2/SH58 Haywards Interchange, and investigation into improvements on the section between Melling and Haywards Hill Road.


“We’re looking forward to further improvements on the Hutt Valley highway in future.”


ENDS

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