UPDATE 9 January:

Drivers on State Highway 2 through Lower Hutt can expect road closures to affect their travel plans next week.

As part of Te Awa Kairangi and the Melling Transport Improvements projects contractors will be carrying out surveying and locating services, ahead of planned safety barrier installations later this month.

This will require night closures of the southbound lanes of State Highway 2 on Sunday and Monday nights (11 and 12 January) between 9pm and 4am. 

Local road detours will be available via Lower Hutt but will require extra travel time. Drivers should plan their journeys accordingly.

Works schedule

Sunday 11 January, 9pm - 4am

• SH2 CLOSED to southbound traffic between Kennedy Good Bridge and Melling Link
• Local road detours available via Lower Hutt

Monday 12 January, 9pm – 4am

• SH2 CLOSED to southbound traffic between Melling Link and  Dowse Interchange
• Local road detours available via Lower Hutt

More information

• SH2 Melling Transport Improvements(external link)
• Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi(external link)

19 December:

Several roads will be closing in Lower Hutt in early January as work on the new State Highway 2 interchange and bridge at Melling progresses.  

These closures are required for critical project work. They give contractors space to build the new Melling train station, relocate utilities, improve surrounding roads, and prepare the ground before major construction begins on the interchange.

There will also be overnight closures in place for Rutherford Street (between Melling Link and Queens Drive), as well as some overnight lane closures on State Highway 2 at Melling. 

Later in January, we will install barriers along State Highway 2, from approximately 500 metres north of the Block/Tirohanga Roads intersection to Normandale Bridge. This will require several overnight closures along these sections of State Highway 2.

Residents, businesses, and those who regularly travel through the area are encouraged to stay up to date on the project and its impact on the road network. 

More details, including times and dates for these closures, will be shared once work programmes are confirmed.

Road and carpark closures

• From Tuesday, 6 January:
  • Queens Drive between Rutherford and High Street
    • CLOSED until approximately 2029.
  • Pharazyn Street between near Marsden Street and Block Road
    • CLOSED until approximately 2029.
  • Block Road and the northern section of the Riverbank car park
    • Permanently CLOSED.

Overnight works schedule

• 22 December 2025 to 6 January 2026
  • SOUTHBOUND SH2 shoulder CLOSURE for KiwiRail works, between Melling intersection and Normandale Bridge.
• Tuesday, 6 January to Thursday 15 January 2026
  • SH2 LANE CLOSURES for intersection improvements, approximately eight nights of work. Work will be between Harbour View Rd and Tirohanga Rd on SH2.
• Tuesday, 6 January to Wednesday 14 January 2026
  • Rutherford St ROAD CLOSURES for realignment and traffic island removal, approximately six nights of work.

More Information

This work is part of the SH2 Melling Transport Improvements, a Road of Regional Significance (RoRS) project that will provide a safer, more resilient, and accessible transport system in Lower Hutt.

The project involves construction of a new grade-separated interchange at Melling and a bridge over Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River, and other improvements.

Work will be completed on behalf of the NZ Transport Agency by the delivery alliance of AECOM and Fletcher Construction.

The project forms a significant portion of Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi – a combined programme of work between the NZ Transport Agency, Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, and mana whenua Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika.