New wall requires a year of work

New wall requires a year of work

Work to maintain a key access route to Karori is about to start, as Stella Carruthers reports.

It’s nearly 100 years since the Chaytor Street retaining wall was built – and it’s finally getting an upgrade. The Wellington City Council will begin work to seismically strengthen the wall in June, a project that is expected to run until September or October next year. It’s nearly 100 years since the Chaytor Street retaining wall was built – and it’s finally getting an upgrade. The Wellington City Council will begin work to seismically strengthen the wall in June, a project that is expected to run until September or October next year. 

Not only will the wall be strengthened but the existing mural will also be upgraded with a custom design public art project.

The current Chaytor Street retaining wall holds up a steep slope beside a deep filled-in gully. The wall is a key piece of infrastructure supporting a busy road for local suburban communities that rely on this route for daily travel and emergency access. Chaytor Street is also a core public transport corridor used by several bus routes.

According to the Wellington City Council, it carries around 18,330 vehicles a day (2019 data) with 5% of these being heavy vehicles. 

The project will involve building a new wall at the face of the existing wall comprising of 325mm minimum thick reinforced concrete on pile foundations, laterally tied back with rock anchors. These new features will bring the infrastructure up to modern safety standards, according to the council.

The Karori Residents’ Association received a briefing from the council on the impact of the work.  While the new wall is under construction Chaytor Street will remain open but traffic management will be in place and there will be some temporary changes to the road and surrounding area to make room for construction work. 

The bus lane will be shifted into a car lane to make room for construction and the car parks in Chaytor Street will be removed to allow for two-way traffic with adjusted lanes. The bus stop (5321) at the corner of Chaytor Street and Birdwood Street will be temporarily closed. Pedestrians will be redirected to the shared cycle pathway within Appleton Park.  

No lanes will be lost during peak traffic hours, and access for emergency vehicles will remain unchanged.

The council says travellers should expect minor traffic disruptions. Birdwood Street will be available as an alternative route.

KRA Chair Andrea Skews says the maintenance was needed so there would be less disruption in the future. 

"The community will naturally be concerned about disruption during the works, but we must also recognise this as an important long term resilience project on a key transport route into Karori and the western suburbs.”

The mural – a local landmark – would also be replaced. 

The mural on the current retaining wall is 30 years old, painted during the 1990s by established mural artist, Doug Ford, in collaboration with the local community. 

Mana whenua artist collective, Te Wai Whenua Design Co, has been commissioned to create a new artwork under the Council’s Tākai Here partnership agreement, with the mahi being led by Len Hetet (Te Āti Awa). The artwork will be a permanent feature, etched directly into the concrete surface of the new wall. According to the council, the design will reflect both the heritage and present-day identity of the area and will become a significant new piece of public art for Karori. “This approach reflects the Council’s commitment to working in partnership with Mana Whenua and to embedding Māori stories and cultural narratives in Wellington’s public spaces.”

The council said the overall vision of the rebuild project was to create a stronger, safer and more welcoming entrance to Karori.

“The work will ensure the long term stability of the road and enhance safety for all users.”