The 18-kilometre MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway (M2PP) carries State Highway 1 through the communities of the Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington. It is part of the NZ Transport Agency’s Wellington Northern Corridor project and a Road of National Significance. Boffa Miskell’s involvement has extended from the early scoping and feasibility stages, through the planning and consent process, conceptual and detailed design and into the final construction phase. We have provided planning, ecology, landscape architecture, urban design and cultural professional services to the project.

The Boffa Miskell multi-disciplinary team provided critical input and analysis and assessment of route alignment and design options, and in informing public consultation. The team was instrumental in developing the Notice of Requirement, resource consent applications and associated assessments of environmental effects. We presented expert evidence in planning, ecology, landscape planning, landscape design and urban design at the resource consent hearings, including the Board of Inquiry hearings.

Our assessment work was influential in determining the final route alignment, taking into account the effects on ecology, landscape and urban environments, and advice on how to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects.

During the detailed design and construction phase, a team of our landscape architects, urban designers and ecologists worked in close co-ordination with the M2PP Alliance team. We were responsible for the detailed landscape and urban design, including the construction specifications and the design of ecological mitigation measures, and prepared the series of detailed site-specific management plans that were required as a condition of consent. The scope of work during the detailed design phase included:

• detailed design of wetlands, streams and ecological mitigation measures in collaboration with storm water management systems;
• detailed design of extensive areas of landscape and ecological mitigation planting;
• undertaking extensive consultation with agencies, local communities, stakeholders and iwi;
• detailed design of urban design features and finishes for the 11 road bridges, pedestrian bridges and noise walls.
• design and detailing of a 18-kilometre cycle/walk/bridle way parallel to the expressway;
• monitoring of ecological effects including fish rescue during construction of stream diversions;
• site monitoring of planting and urban design works.

Our role

Planning, urban design, ecology, landscape planning, landscape architecture, as well as ecological, landscape and urban design monitoring and stakeholder consultation.

The facts

ClientNew Zealand Transport Agency.; Boffa Miskell was a member of the consenting phase M2PP Alliance (project partnership) and a sub-contractor to the construction phase Alliance.

Project team

Boyden Evans
Dr. Leigh Bull
Dr. Vaughan Keesing
Frazer Baggaley
Robert Schofield
Stephen Fuller
Steve Dunn

Worked with

MacKays to Peka Peka Alliance Team
Beca, Fletcher, Goodmans, Higgins

Project date 2009 - ongoing