A new walkway to cross Te Awa Kairangi Hutt River at Ava is likely to miss its mid-2026 completion deadline as officials conclude their preferred design of attaching it to the rail bridge is unworkable.
By Justin Wong for Local Democracy Reporting
The clip-on pathway would have replaced a now-closed, ratepayer-owned footbridge attached to a rail bridge between Ava and Woburn stations that was an important walking route for local residents. The old footbridge had to be closed for KiwiRail to upgrade the rail bridge’s sleepers and rail.
Now, tests showed the clip-on pathway could not be attached to the rail bridge, with KiwiRail’s Wellington metro network general manager Andy Lyon saying the clip-on pathway’s weight would overload the rail bridge.
The original footbridge was a narrow wooden walkway and relatively lighter than the steel clip-on pathway. The latter was not possible “due to the modern performance standards the 100-year-old bridge would have to meet”, said Lyon.
“Essentially, the weight of the shared pathway, as originally proposed, imposes a very different loading from the original walkway and reduces the overall resilience of the bridge.”
A workshop after the Hutt City Council’s infrastructure and regulatory committee meeting on Thursday will select a replacement design from six options, include strengthening the rail bridge to continue hosting the clip-on pathway, a standalone bridge or do nothing.
The cost of any new options, and whether they will exceed the $4.8 million budget for the clip-on pathway, is unknown. The Government and the council agreed last year to share the cost, with then mayor Campbell Barry saying it would have been difficult for ratepayers to cover the money entirely.
Transport Minister and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop agreed to cover half of the cost because the rail upgrades ended up demolishing council property and impacting regular users: “It seems sensible and fair that the project make provision for the return of the council’s accessway.”
The alternative walking river crossings would be about 1km away, on the Waione St or Ewen bridges. More than 220 residents from the nearby Bob Scott Retirement Village signed a petition in January 2025 said it was of “paramount importance” to find money for a replacement bridge.
“We recognise there is strong community interest in this connection across the river,” Lyon said. “Engineering experts are working at pace to find the best solution, and we will keep the community informed as work progresses. We expect to have an update in the coming months.
“KiwiRail and Hutt City Council are continuing to work closely together on alternate options for a replacement public river crossing.”
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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