A major quake could cut off parts of Wellington for months, study shows

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-08-07 10:34

New Zealand

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If a magnitude 7.5 quake hits Wellington, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa would likely still be isolated by road closures 3 months later, a study shows. Researchers used computer simulations of the region’s roads to show that half of normal car trips out of the region and a quarter of those into it would still be infeasible 3 months after a major quake. This assumes the new Transmission Gully and Peka Peka to Ōtaki motorways stay open, but if they were to close, travel connections and the congestion on remaining routes would be even worse. The researchers say we need proactive planning and targeted spending on critical roads to ensure resilience after a disaster.