Transmission Gully

It's been decades in the making and today Transmission Gully has finally opened. RNZ looks at the long road to get here.

- A review finds the project wasflawed from the start. - June: Government gives the project the green light, despite a shortfall of $600 million. The Transport Agency says it settled a dispute with the joint venture builder by agreeing to pay the extra sum and avoid costly and lengthy legal action.

Motorists have been left with cracked and chipped windscreens after driving on Transmission Gully less than 24 hours after the motorway opened.

We understand why people are excited – Transmission Gully is fantastic, but it will be here for the next 100 years so there is plenty of time to enjoy it." They also urged people to be careful despite the excitement of the new road. "Police want to remind people that this is a motorway and you cannot stop. Yesterday, police said their radio network had two blackspots over a combined 1.2km of the new road. "Let's take care out there and not all rush out at once. A bit disappointing given that as a regular traveller between Wellington and Waikanae beach I had been looking forward to this new motorway for several years." Guests at the ceremony and media got a sneak peek of the road yesterday and were allowed to drive on the four-lane motorway. "We don't advertise a specific opening time for moving traffic on to any large new road, in order to avoid congestion and the potential for crashes with people queuing up to be first on the new road. We appreciate this is a new stretch of road and people will want to look around but we urge drivers to remain focused and drive distraction-free to ensure the safety of all road users." He said he was looking forward to trying the new road in the coming weekend and hopefully getting into the Hutt a little bit faster. A police spokesperson confirmed to the Herald that the new safety feature of the road is "very effective". Police confirmed to the Herald that "a small number" of tickets have been issued since the road opened just before 3am this morning.

The 27km motorway connects Wellington with the Kapiti Coast, but it's had mixed reviews from motorists on its first day. Cars on Transmission Gully was a sight ...

Stuff journalists ran a time trial find out which is faster: Transmission Gully, the old coastal route, or the train from Paraparaumu.

While Ben was crowned, I was still on the train somewhere between Ngāūranga and Wellington. I got off the train at 8:17am, and enjoyed a leisurely stroll through town. I still would pick the train any day. It was a clear morning, and the carriage only a quarter full. My train was pulling into Porirua, the rising sun casting a glow through the fog as the train glided along the track. Ben was declared the winner. “So TG cut a little over 10 minutes off that time, and also makes the old route much quicker.” @nzstuffIt’s 7.24am in #Paraparaumu, and three reporters and two photographers stand in the pre-dawn darkness of the Coastlands carpark. Ignoring judgemental looks from fellow commuters, I snapped pictures, filmed out the train window, completed The Dominion Post WordFit, and nailed the Wordle in three guesses. One’s munching a breakfast McMuffin, and all five have their eyes on the prize. “There was not any more traffic than you would expect,” Ben told the office team. One’s munching a breakfast McMuffin, and all five have their eyes on the prize.

Jacinda Ardern described it as an "engineering marvel" that was "huge" for all Kiwis.

Waka Kotahi said none of the deferred tests would compromise public safety, as they relate to ensuring the long-term quality of the road. It's expected the road will be open to the public within 24 hours of this morning's ceremony. "We have a pathway that will be used by generations to come."

The new $1.25 billion motorway will open to traffic today.

Around two and a half million native trees and plants were planted as part of the project." It is a true testament to the skill and dedication of the some 8,000 individuals who have worked on this project." "This is an important piece of infrastructure it will be a a huge benefit to the Wellington region but everyone feels a bit of frustration over how long this has taken," he told MIke Hosking. Transmission Gully has been built to the highest safety specifications and will provide a much safer route for road users, Wood said. Transport Minister Michael Wood said Transmission Gully is one of the most significant and complex new roading projects ever undertaken in New Zealand - but he undertsood the frustration over how long the road has taken. After a "huge amount of work" on the project over the summer, Waka Kotahi has said it's now confident the road has reached a stage where it is safe for public use. It means the four-lane road will be open in time for the Easter break, school holidays, and the return of tourists to New Zealand. The Transmission Gully link roads, connecting the Porirua suburbs of Whitby and Waitangirua to the new motorway, were blessed in a ceremony yesterday. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has instructed the contractor to open the road by the end of March. The road will open to traffic tomorrow. Admitting it was not without its challenges, Ardern said Transmission Gully is " a testament to what can be achieved in spite of a rough start and in spite of a one-in-100-year pandemic." "The engineering of this project was always going to be a challenge, but it's fair to say it has been a challenge in many other respects as well." In a speech to the waiting crowd she said it was no secret that a road connecting Wellington to the lower North Island through Transmission Gully has been talked about for many decades.

Motorists have been left with cracked and chipped windscreens after driving on Transmission Gully less than 24 hours after the motorway opened. Chris Calvi.

We understand why people are excited – Transmission Gully is fantastic, but it will be here for the next 100 years so there is plenty of time to enjoy it." "Police want to remind people that this is a motorway and you cannot stop. They also urged people to be careful despite the excitement of the new road. Yesterday, police said their radio network had two blackspots over a combined 1.2km of the new road. "Let's take care out there and not all rush out at once. A bit disappointing given that as a regular traveller between Wellington and Waikanae beach I had been looking forward to this new motorway for several years." Guests at the ceremony and media got a sneak peek of the road yesterday and were allowed to drive on the four-lane motorway. "We don't advertise a specific opening time for moving traffic on to any large new road, in order to avoid congestion and the potential for crashes with people queuing up to be first on the new road. We appreciate this is a new stretch of road and people will want to look around but we urge drivers to remain focused and drive distraction free to ensure the safety of all road users." He said he was looking forward to trying the new road in the coming weekend and hopefully getting into the Hutt a little bit faster. A police spokesperson confirmed to the Herald that the new safety feature of the road is "very effective". Police confirmed to the Herald that "a small number" of tickets have been issued since the road opened just before 3am this morning.

Views over Porirua and Paraparaumu steal the show, but a closer look at the concrete slopes reveals engineering marvels.

Peer over the edge, and it’s a confronting 60-metre drop to the stream below. With that knowledge the build team constructed the road in such a way that it moves with an earthquake. Our bustling capital newsroom published nearly 3800 stories in the past year on this city, wind, hail, horizontal rain or shine. I saw a road. But by parking up on the bridge and taking a wander around, you get a better appreciation of the construction process. The road has been etched into the side of the mountain, concrete cuttings towering up the sides of the road and carving paths for rain water to escape into the gully below.

The long-awaited motorway between Wellington and Kapiti Coast is being officially opened on Wednesday.

Waka Kotahi said none of the deferred tests would compromise public safety, as they relate to ensuring the long-term quality of the road. It's expected the road will be open to the public within 24 hours of this morning's ceremony. "We have a pathway that will be used by generations to come."

Three reporters tried the Wellington rush hour commute to find out which is faster: Transmission Gully, the old coastal route, or the train from ...

Our bustling capital newsroom published nearly 3800 stories in the past year on this city, wind, hail, horizontal rain or shine. Follow the updates on the newly built Transmission Gully motorway as our reporters complete their time trial. Live: Reporters test out the rush hour commute on Transmission Gully