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We’re investigating options to build a new shared walkway and cycleway across Te Awa Kairangi Hutt River to replace the current Ava Rail Bridge Pedestrian footbridge.
Update (26 June 2026)
Hutt City Council and KiwiRail have been investigating options to replace the former Ava pedestrian walkway following its removal as part of KiwiRail's upgrade of the Ava Rail Bridge.
Detailed engineering assessments have found that attaching a new walkway to the existing rail bridge, as originally proposed, is not feasible without significant additional investment to strengthen the bridge.
As a result, KiwiRail is no longer progressing the original clip-on walkway proposal. Instead, Hutt City Council has investigated alternative stand-alone walkway options, along with the option of taking no further action.
These options will be presented to the Infrastructure & Regulatory Committee on 2 July 2026. Councillors will consider the updated technical advice, costs and community benefits before deciding on the next steps.
Timeline
| Labour Weekend 2025 | KiwiRail begins essential renewal works. The existing pedestrian walkway closes. |
| January 2026 | KiwiRail completes bridge renewal works. |
| June 2026 | Alternative options for a replacement walkway are developed following updated engineering advice. |
| 2 July 2026 | Infrastructure & Regulatory Committee considers options and decides next steps. |
FAQs
During the detailed design phase of the original proposed clip-on option, testing of the rail bridge was undertaken, and it was confirmed that it did not meet the required structural performance criteria of the rail bridge to current standards and could not proceed.
Options for a replacement Ava Walkway will be presented to the Infrastructure & Regulatory Committee on 2 July 2026. A detailed timeline beyond this is dependent on the option chosen for further investigation.
Yes, an option being considered is not progressing with the Ava Shared Use Bridge and instead relying on the Cross Valley Link project to provide an alternative east–west connection between Ewen Bride and Waione Street Bridge.
The Technical Advisory Group is also considering a range of options, including:
- Standalone bridge options.
- Suspension bridge options.
- Upgrades to other existing bridges to improve walking/cycling options.
No, the old walkway didn't meet current standards and also sat on top of the railway sleepers that were removed during KiwiRail's maintenance and upgrade work earlier in the year.
Got questions?
You can get in contact with us at TransportProjectDeliveryTeam@huttcity.govt.nz
If you have questions about KiwiRail’s renewal work, contact them at contactus@kiwirail.co.nz