Wakefield Street Wastewater Rising Main – Stage 2
On behalf of Wellington City Council, we are constructing a new wastewater rising main along Wakefield Street that links the existing Kent Terrace rising main and the new Taranaki Street rising main.
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Wellington Water, 04 912 4400
Latest Updates
Check out the great progress with 'pics' we're making on the new rising main.
We're now laying the pipe from the new manhole towards Kent Terrace/Oriental Parade and setting up work for the pipe ram under the New World dockway.
Current Update
Stage 2 works are scheduled to start 21 January 2025 and take around 7 months to complete.
This last stage of this project involves installing approximately 270m of pipe on Wakefield Street between Tory Street and Kent Terrace and approximately 50m of pipe on Chaffers Street between Wakefield Street and Pump Station 4, located at the Chaffers St entrance to the New World car park.
Work will start with the section between Tory Street and Chaffers Street. Due to the location of the new pipe, this section of Wakefield Street will be reduced to one lane. On-street parking will also be removed from this section of the street. However, access to garages, parking buildings and retail premises will be maintained throughout.
Following this initial section work will then move to the next section between Chaffers Street and Kent Terrace.
Background
Wellington Water is building a new wastewater rising main – that’s a pressurised pipe that pumps wastewater into the main network - along Wakefield Street. It will link into the existing Kent Terrace rising main and into the new Taranaki Street rising main.
This is part of the major Wellington CBD wastewater renewals programme that has been underway since 2021 and involves six projects. It will provide a more resilient network, protecting the environment, catering for future growth and supporting more flexible, efficient and safe maintenance and repairs.
Benefits:
The new rising main will provide additional storage and redundancy to the network, allowing an alternative route for pumping flows during planned or unplanned maintenance of the Kent Terrace rising main.
This will significantly increase capacity and resilience of the network, minimising the risk of pipe failures while also improving network redundancy and supporting CBD growth and development.
Stages:
The Wakefield St rising main project is being done in two stages. Stage 1 has been completed with the renewal of the section of Wakefield Street between the intersection with Tory Street and the BP Petrol Station on the corner of Wakefield and Taranaki Streets.
Stage 2 will commence late 2024 and includes installing approximately 270m of pipe on Wakefield Street between Tory Street and Kent Terrace and approximately 50m of pipe on Chaffers Street between Wakefield Street and Pump Station 4, located at the Chaffers St entrance to the New World car park.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What are we doing?
Wellington Water is building a new wastewater rising main – that’s a pressurised pipe that pumps wastewater into the main network - along Wakefield Street. It will link into the existing Kent Terrace rising main and into the new Taranaki Street rising main.
This is part of the major Wellington CBD wastewater renewals programme that has been underway since 2021 and involves six projects. It will provide a more resilient network, protecting the environment, catering for future growth and supporting more flexible, efficient and safe maintenance and repairs.
Why are we doing this?
The new Wakefield Street rising main will provide additional capacity for the network, allowing for an alternative route for pumping wastewater flows during planned or emergency maintenance of the Kent Terrace rising main.
What's involved?
The Wakefield Street rising main project is being done in two stages. Stage 1 has already been completed, with renewal of the section of Wakefield Street between the intersection with Tory Street and the BP Petrol Station on the corner of Wakefield and Taranaki Streets.
Stage 2, underway from 21 January 2025, includes installing approximately 270m of pipe on Wakefield Street between Tory Street and Kent Terrace and approximately 50m of pipe on Chaffers Street between Wakefield Street and Pump Station 4, located at the Chaffers St entrance to the New World car park.
How long will it take?
Stage 2 works are scheduled to start 21 January 2025 and take around 7 months to complete. It will be done in two sections – firstly between Tory Street and Chaffers Street, and then Chaffers Street to Kent Terrace – each will take three to four months to complete.
Is this work linked to the Golden Mile project?
No, this project is about increasing the capacity and resilience of the CBD wastewater network. However, the traffic management for the first stage of the Golden Mile project and this project are being coordinated to try to minimise the impact on traffic.
How will it affect traffic?
In the initial section between Tory Street and Chaffers Street, Wakefield Street will be reduced to one lane. Traffic management will be in place.
The intersection between Chaffers Street and Wakefield Street is closed until the worksite moves further down. In the meantime, we encourage you to take detours via Tory Street.
On-street parking will also be removed from this section of the street. However, access to garages, parking buildings and retail premises will be maintained throughout. This section is expected take around six weeks to complete.
This means that during peak periods, there will be some build-up of traffic on Wakefield Street, Oriental Parade and Cable Street. We would encourage people to plan for extra time in your trips and take alternative routes where possible.
How will it affect pedestrians?
Safe pedestrian access will be maintained throughout.
Will it affect bus routes?
For the period that Chaffers Street is closed, buses will be detoured to travel along Tory Street.
All Updates
With significant progress on Wakefield Street this week, the crew have been able to reopen Chaffers Street to two lane traffic, to reopen the slip lane and remove the cones outside Downstage. This is great news - however, we will need to close these areas again to complete further works as outlined below.
Over the next month the work will be focused at the northern end of Wakefield Street. The crew have just started excavating on the northern side of Tory Street for the launch pit to 'pipe ram' (trenchless pipe laying) under Tory Street allowing traffic to flow over the top.
There is also still some work to be completed at the southern end of Wakefield Street, which will require the area t be closed again. Pipe joints for this work are currently being fabricated offsite, so we are yet to confirm timing for this work. The cones outside Downstage will need to be reinstated when the slip lane is closed again.
Additionally, Chaffers Street will need to be closed again in the future to lay the pipe that will connect into the pump station. That is a few months away.
As always thankyou everyone for your patience as we complete this important project to improve the resilience and capacity of our city's wastewater network.
Our team is making great progress on the new Wakefield Street rising main.
After just seven weeks on the job, the team has already laid 150m of rising main (a pipe that carries wastewater under pressure) and four valve chambers in the initial section between Tory Street and Chaffers Street.
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Using trenchless technology, they have also installed 16m of pipe underneath the New World dock way without disrupting deliveries.
Coming up, the team will be pressure testing the pipe laid so far and completing reinstatement and asphalting of the road.
As this progresses, the worksite will move further down toward Tory Street, and we expect the intersection between Chaffers Street and Wakefield Street to reopen mid-March. The crew will be doing a trenchless crossing of the Tory Street intersection with Wakefield Street to avoid traffic disruption.
We are also on track to reopen the slip lane that runs from Kent Terrace/Oriental Parade onto Chaffers Street by mid-March or when it’s safe to do so. Please take detours via Tory Street.
We know the roadworks and traffic disruptions are frustrating, but the good news is that we are making exceptional progress on this is a key project to improve the resilience of the wastewater network and support our city’s growth.
Works are tracking well at the Wakefield Street Rising Main site.
We're now laying the pipe from the new manhole towards Kent Terrace/Oriental Parade and setting up work for the pipe ram under the New World dockway.
The initial section between Tory Street and Chaffers Street, Wakefield Street has been reduced to one lane. The intersection between Chaffers Street and Wakefield Street remains closed until the site moves further down.
Starting tomorrow, the slip lane that runs from Kent Terrace/Oriental Parade onto Chaffers Street will be closed for these works. We expect the slip lane to be reopened by mid-March or when it’s safe to do so. Please take detours via Tory Street.
We know roadworks can be frustrating, especially on one of the busiest streets in Wellington. But building a new wastewater rising main (a pipe that carries wastewater under pressure) is a key project to increase the resilience of the network and support the city’s growth.
Please plan ahead of your travels and allow for extra time when commuting. This is a complex project in a busy part of the city so we appreciate the community’s patience and understanding.
For the safety of our workers, drivers and pedestrian, we appreciate if traffic management and site fences remain in place and undisturbed.
Works are progressing well on site, with crews constructing the first manhole and preparing to lay the first section of pipe.
Due to the location of the manhole, Chaffers Street is closed, but drivers can still access the Chaffers Street entrance to New World via the Tory Street detour.
Meanwhile, we have been carrying out traffic management trials to see how we can better manage peak traffic. Wellington City Council is happy for the slip lane that runs from Kent Terrace/Oriental Parade onto Chaffers Street to be reopened. They are also working on rephasing the traffic lights at Courtenay Place to better manage the build of cars at peak times. The slip lane will be re-closed for the day on 4 February.
In the next week crews will start laying the pipe from the new manhole towards Kent Terrace/Oriental Parade. Once that’s done, we will set up a trenchless approach to go under the exit to the New World dockway.
This is a complex project in a congested part of the city so we appreciate the community’s patience and understanding. We also ask that the traffic management and site fences are not interfered with as this creates a hazard for workers, drivers and pedestrians.