Te Awa Kairangi is a pedestrian and cycling bridge located in just north of Wellington, New Zealand in an area called Lower Hutt.
The project is an urban regeneration project built on the back of climate change flood protection for the region.
The wider project creates a linear park flanking Te Awa Kairangi (the Hutt River) and protecting Lower Hutt and creates a new gateway into the city with the rebuilding of the Melling road bridge and the creation of a new timber pedestrian bridge.
The project constitutes three bridges (two road bridges and one pedestrian bridge), a relocated Melling train station and the linear park.
The pedestrian bridge will be built in timber and will be a shared path for both pedestrians and cyclists. It is an aspirational design in its technology and use of timber for such a span. It will be an elegant, sculptural and timeless addition to the city and will help facilitate transport alternatives.
The existing Melling train station (a terminus) will be relocated to have a better relationship with the new pedestrian bridge and new plaza spaces and create clear public and active transport links between Wellington and Lower Hutt.
The bridge is a sculpted timber truss bridge.
The deck swells out over each of the two piers creating an area which allows users to stop, sit and look over the river and linear park below.