Aotea Quay

What are we doing?

As a first step towards improving Thorndon Quay and Hutt Road, we are reducing heavy traffic on Hutt Road by replacing the signalised intersection on Aotea Quay with a roundabout. 

New paths proposed as part of the Thorndon Quay-Hutt Road project will complete the walking and biking link into the central city from Ngā Ūranga. This project will also link to Te Ara Tupua, the planned shared path between Ngā Ūranga and Petone, which will enable more people to walk and cycle between the Hutt Valley and Wellington. 

Why?

This will make trips along Hutt Road safer for all who use it. It will also allow freight and ferry traffic to remain on State Highway 1 and access the ferry terminal via Aotea Quay, instead of getting off at Ngā Ūranga and using Hutt Road. By redirecting freight and ferry traffic, we will be able to transform the Thorndon Quay-Hutt road corridor by providing part-time bus priority lanes, as well as a two-way cycle path and dedicated footpath. 

How will it improve getting around Wellington?

By reducing heavy traffic on Hutt Road, congestion will be eased, which will mean a more reliable bus service in and out of the city along the Thorndon Quay-Hutt Road corridor. 

It will allow LGWM to build a central median down Hutt Road, preventing people from turning right across the road. This will add to the overall safety for those using Hutt Road, while the roundabout will provide a necessary turnaround facility for northbound traffic and easy access to the ferry terminal. 

Following independent advice from a road safety engineer, we are exploring whether an intermediate turning point might be available or appropriate on Hutt Road. The design team are looking at how and where we can allow for some turning facilities (subject to negotiations). 

With Te Ara Tupua – the shared pathway for walking and cycling, connecting Lower Hutt with Wellington – expected to triple the daily number of people on bikes travelling to and from the city, a reduction in heavy traffic, as the pathway connects to Hutt Road, means a safer trip into town. 

The roundabout will also accommodate ferry operations, which are predicted to increase in future with new, larger ships that will turnaround cargo and passengers in sixty minutes, due to arrive from September 2025 as part of the iReX project.