Centennial Highway
29 SH1, Paekākāriki
Centennial Highway was officially opened on 4 November 1939. It extends from Ngauranga Gorge to the southern-most end of Paekākāriki and was built to replace the Paekākāriki Hill Road.
While many of the workers on the road came from the local area, public works camps were also established. These included one at Plimmerton on the eastern side of the railway line and one at Taua Tapu near Airlie Road. The workers at these camps were responsible for the construction of the road alongside the Taupo Swamp, through Pukerua Bay and along the coast to Paekākāriki.
A one mile long coastal seawall was constructed as part of this project. The workers faced two major challenges; digging down to 20 feet to find solid ground next to the Taupo Swamp and working night and day on the coast to construct the seawall then back filling it to create a platform for the road. This challenging work took three years to complete.
Caterpillar diesel bulldozer surrounded by a work gang, Centennial Highway, Paekākāriki, 1939 Hp 1031, J Beattie Collection, Kāpiti Coast District Libraries
Crowds at official opening of Centennial Highway, 1939
Laying drainage system at Centennial Highway Pukerua Bay 1938
A section of the seawall boxing, each section was 8 feet wide at the base and 32 feet long. Centennial Highway, Paekākāriki, 1938 Hp 1015, J Beattie Collection, Kāpiti Coast district Libraries
Work gang involved in constructing Centennial Highway, near Pukerua Bay, in 1938. Waterfall drainage systems were laid to prevent the highway from flooding Hp 1021, J Beattie Collection, Kāpiti Coast District Libraries
