Transforming Victoria Street - Working Together to Tackle Utility Design

The Victoria Street Transformation Project has provided Wellington with a tree lined boulevard, enhancing the pedestrian experience with wider footpaths and parks. This has facilitated and encouraged development within the area as well as improved traffic and cycling flows.

The project had a short timeframe from its announcement in September 2014 to its completion by 30 June 2015. In order to achieve these optimistic timeframes, the project was delivered by the already established and successful Memorial Park Alliance (the Alliance).

The challenge for wet services was to remove, replace and add new components to the water supply, stormwater and wastewater networks in a busy part of Wellington where these services were critical to the wider city network. The urban complexity meant that design and construction issues were inevitable and could only be discovered and solved once the ground was opened up. Further complications included the need to move services before other elements of the design were complete, the quantity of services underground, and the need to keep Victoria Street and Vivian Street (State Highway 1) open at all times.

The Alliance delivery model allowed for close collaboration between the design and construction teams and the owner, Wellington City Council (WCC). This enabled swift decision making which was essential to the successful completion of the project. This collaborative approach resulted in innovative and time-efficient solutions, which had a significant contribution to the project being completed on time.