Hon Chris Bishop
Minister of Transport
 
Campbell Barry
Mayor of Lower Hutt

The closure of the Ava Bridge walkway will be delayed so Hutt City Council have more time to develop options for a new footbridge, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Mayor of Lower Hutt, Campbell Barry.

“The Hutt River paths are one of the Hutt’s most beloved features. Hutt locals and visitors alike enjoy walking, running and cycling along the paths – they're a favourite route for dog walkers, for runners, for parents with prams or kids on bikes, and for people getting some fresh air on their lunch break.

“The Ava Bridge walkway is one of only three routes for people using the paths to get across the Hutt River. The next closest bridge is about 1km away, at either the Waione Street bridge to the south or the Ewen Bridge to the north,” Mr Bishop says.

“Late last year KiwiRail advised the Council and Hutt residents that new government investment in the Wellington metro rail network would allow them to upgrade the nearly 100 year-old bridge. Their intentions were to close the bridge temporarily from February to undertake the maintenance but that the walkway next to the tracks would have to be permanently removed.

“The situation has been complicated by the fact that the bridge is owned by KiwiRail but the walkway attached to the bridge is owned by the Council.”

“Hutt City Council knows the importance of this pedestrian access for locals. KiwiRail’s intended start date for the bridge closure – this Sunday, 23 Feb – is too soon for the council to have worked through replacement options.

“This week I’ve had productive conversations with KiwiRail executives and Mayor Barry about the issue. I’m pleased to see that KiwiRail has chosen to delay the bridge closure to give Hutt City Council more time to look at options for replacing the walkway.

“KiwiRail has commissioned a study looking at options and expects to provide it to Hutt City Council in the coming weeks. This study will give the Council solid information on what a replacement walkway across the river at Ava could look like.

“The existing walkway will still close towards the end of this year, ahead of the rail work, but by then the community should have a clear path forward.

“This is a sensible outcome, and I thank KiwiRail and Metlink, who operate the trains, for their understanding.”

“Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry says that people rely on this bridge as an important route across the river.

“It’s great that we are now all working together to find a solution,” Mayor Barry says.

“This approach ensures we have time to consider how pedestrian access could be aligned with KiwiRail’s planned maintenance at Christmas.

“We thank everyone who took the time to share their concerns about the closure with us.”

The replacement work will now be carried out during the Christmas 2025 temporary network closure in Wellington. The walkway is expected to close a month or two earlier to allow preparation for the rail work.

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