Te Ara Tupua 4.5km path opens May 15

Transport Minister Chris Bishop said on May 15 that the Ngauranga-to-Petone section of Te Ara Tupua would open to the public on Saturday, creating a new walking and cycling link between Wellington and Lower Hutt. The route runs 4.5 kilometres along the coast beside State Highway 2 and the Hutt Valley rail line, according to the minister and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Officials said the project was designed not only as an active-transport corridor but also as coastal protection for one of the region’s main road and rail approaches. The opening follows more than a decade of planning, design and consenting work that officials said began in 2013, with construction starting in 2022. ### When did the path actually open? Chris Bishop said in a Beehive release dated May 15 that the path would “officially open to the public tomorrow,” making the public opening Saturday, May 16. RNZ also reported on May 15 that the path would open on Saturday. That clarifies the timing around reports published a day earlier that described the opening ceremony in Wellington. (beehive.govt.nz) May 15 was used for the formal opening event, according to Wellington.Scoop, which reported that Bishop opened the path that day alongside Wellington Mayor Andrew Little and Lower Hutt Mayor Fauono Ken Laban. The public opening followed on May 16, the date cited by both the minister and local event notices. ### What has been built between Ngauranga and Petone? The new section is a 4.5-kilometre-long, 5-metre-wide shared path, Bishop said. (beehive.govt.nz) The minister said it sits on “extensive resilience works and coastal improvements,” including 0.8 hectares of reclaimed land, 2.7 kilometres of sloping coastal defenses, more than 6,000 interlocking concrete blocks and six vertical seawalls. (wellington.scoop.co.nz) Wellington.Scoop reported that the route also includes six ūranga, or resting places, and a bridge over the rail tracks with cultural designs by artist Len Hetet. The same report said the seawall uses 6,600 X-shaped concrete blocks, known as Xblocs, each weighing 2.6 tonnes. ### Why was this treated as more than a bike and walking path? NZ Transport Agency says Te Ara Tupua is intended to improve resilience along State Highway 2 and the Hutt Valley rail line, which sit on one of only two main corridors in and out of Wellington. (beehive.govt.nz) Bishop said parts of the coastline were damaged in severe weather in 2013, when land under the rail line was washed out, causing what he described as millions of dollars in recovery work and days of disruption for commuters. (wellington.scoop.co.nz) RNZ reported that Bishop described the project as “first and foremost a resilience project,” saying that if a seawall was being built, “it makes sense to put a cycleway on the top.” The minister also said the path could provide a lifeline connection for emergency services if the highway were blocked after an earthquake or heavy rain. (beehive.govt.nz) ### Who paid for it, and how much is it expected to be used? The Ngauranga-to-Petone section cost NZ$348.7 million, according to the Beehive release. The funding split was listed as NZ$80 million from the Crown, NZ$261.7 million from NZTA, NZ$5 million from Wellington City Council and NZ$2 million from Greater Wellington Regional Council. RNZ rounded the project cost to NZ$348 million in its report. (rnz.co.nz) Bishop said the path is expected by 2032 to carry more than 2,100 bike trips, 360 walking or running trips, and about 290 e-scooter or similar trips on each weekday. He contrasted that with an estimated 450 daily trips before the project got underway. ### How does this fit into the wider Te Ara Tupua route? NZ Transport Agency says Te Ara Tupua is a broader walking and cycling connection between Wellington and Lower Hutt delivered in sections. (beehive.govt.nz) The Wellington CBD-to-Ngauranga section was completed in July 2025, while the Petone-to-Melling section was completed on October 16, 2023, according to NZTA. The Ngauranga-to-Petone opening means the new coastal path now connects with other facilities including the Petone Esplanade and Hutt River Trail, NZTA says. Wellington.Scoop reported that it also links with the recently opened Tupua Horo Nuku shared path along the eastern bays, extending the harbor-edge network available to walkers and cyclists. May 16 is the date officials gave for the public opening of the new section, and NZTA lists the wider Te Ara Tupua project as a multi-section route built with mana whenua, councils and alliance partners Downer NZ, HEB Construction and Tonkin + Taylor. (nzta.govt.nz) The agency says the route forms part of a longer effort to connect Wellington and Lower Hutt with separated walking and cycling infrastructure. (beehive.govt.nz)