Update on the Taranaki Street pipes project

From GP Friel

Kia Ora,

With the mainline of the project now complete and successfully tested we are focusing on all the commissioning activities to put the rising main into service and complete the project. The project is going well and we are on track to substantially complete this by the end of this year.

This project involves construction of a major new wastewater ‘rising main’ (a pipe that carries wastewater under pressure) along Taranaki St from Market Lane to Wigan St. We are delivering this project for Wellington Water, alongside GHD and on behalf of Wellington City Council. It will provide a more resilient wastewater network and will cater for growth in our city.

Complex pipework in Market Lane

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Since our last update we have successfully pressure tested the new pipes to make sure that they are ready to go into service. This is another great milestone and has really set us up for success as we approach the final stages of the work.

We have also completed a series of complex “shutdowns” of the existing network in Market Lane. During these shutdowns we have prepared and renewed the pipework so that we can connect the new rising main. With some smart thinking, the team on site  managed to get this piece of work done early, shortening the overall duration of the project. Next month we will be tidying up Market Lane and putting the road back to its original arrangement – a one way street.

Once connections of pipes near Wigan St and in Wakefield St are made to the new rising main we will be ready to bring the upgraded network into service.

In Taranaki St, around Inglewood Place we have been working on the pipes that make up the gravity wastewater services that connect to the new pump station. Work to complete the last sections of these pipes requires a full closure of Dixon St. We understand that this will be disruptive, and we have been working with Wellington City Council to minimise the impact of this for businesses and the community. We will be working around the clock for three days to get the work done as quickly as possible. Wellington City Council are going to use the opportunity to carry out some necessary maintenance work while the road is closed. A VMS board is now in position and specific communication undertaken with businesses and residents on Dixon St. If you have any questions on this one then please get in touch.

Following on from the work in Dixon St we will be tidying up Inglewood Place and handing it over to the Wellington City Council team who will be carrying out construction of a new toilet block.

We really appreciate the patience and support from businesses, residents and the public that have been affected by the work.

As ever, please take extra time for your journeys around the traffic management avoid the area if you can and follow the instructions of our onsite traffic management team.

Our project is planned to be complete in early-2025 so we are going to be in the area for a while. We will be putting out regular updates to this mailing list to keep you informed of changes to the site and the progress we are making. Let me know if you would like to be removed from the distribution.

Feel free to also send this update to other businesses and residents in the area and encourage them to email us their details to be added to our list for updates. 

Please reach out if you have any questions about the work.

Nga Mihi

David Philipson
General Manager  |   GP Friel Ltd
www.gpfl.co.nz