Subscribe to RSSHalf A Billion Dollar -Plus 10-year Roading Bonus for Christchurch
More details have been released of today’s Christchurch roading bonanza - a massive $600 million -plus worth.
The improvements to the state highway network in and around Christchurch will include:
- the Northern Arterial from the existing Northern Motorway to Queen Elizabeth II Drive (SH74)
- the Southern Motorway extension (SH73) from Curletts Road to Weedons Road north of Rolleston
- the Western Corridor (SH1) from Hornby to the Northern Motorway.
NZTA Board member Garry Moore said the construction programme was designed to improve and future-proof access to the Christchurch International Airport and Lyttelton, Port of Christchurch.
Mr Moore said the construction programme would deliver a wide range of benefits including: •
- More efficient movement of increasing freight volumes through the region
- Improved access to Christchurch’s CBD, airport, Lyttelton Port and other facilities such as hospitals
- Reduced congestion leading to more reliable journey times • Improved road safety, with lane-separated state highways, and traffic diverted from local roads
- Substantial investment in the local construction industry flowing into the regional economy.
Mr Moore said the NZTA was able to move swiftly to commence construction on the first projects in 2010, including the first stage of the Southern Motorway and four-laning the first part of the Western Corridor (Russley Road from Yaldhurst Road to Wairakei Road).
“Many of these projects have been on the drawing board for some time, but with the additional Roads of National Significance funding we’re now able to get on with building these important roads.
Earlier I reported that this morning, the transport minister turned the first sod on the Christchurch Southern Motorway stage one extension. It’s the first step in a major $730 million upgrade to the highway system leading into and around Christchurch.
Construction preparation work commences this month on the first stage of the Southern Motorway with earthworks getting under way in the final quarter of this year. Improvements to Russley Road will also commence later this year. “Where projects are in earlier stages of development, such as the Northern Arterial, public consultation will provide opportunities for people to help us determine the final shape of these projects, with some discussions happening as early as next month.”
Mr Moore said all the planned improvements to the state highway network were identified in the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy (UDS), the 35-year plan to integrate transport and development in the Greater Christchurch area. The UDS partners are the NZTA, Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury, Selwyn District Council and Waimakariri District Council.
5 Comments
A small chunk of that cash would have gone a long way towards the light rail system most of ChCh’s councillors want for the city. Of course Joyce is over the debate and is letting market forces decide i.e. by market forces he means his forces since he’s holding the purse strings.
More of the same old fashioned transport planning.Well, Steven Joyce is not known as a visionary or being practical.
Road Transport Forum gave a lot of money to the National Party… you think they are involved in the transport planning being anti rail in the region?
why can’t we just build trams like melbourne???? honestly in terms of roading and public transport we are a 3rd world country, even india has better transport than us!
also, most “motorways” in Christchurch is only one lane in each direction for most parts.
Anthony - while I don’t think it means Christchurch should be devoid of decent public transport (and indeed light rail seems like a good option), don’t forget in your comparison between New Zealand’s second largest city and Australia’s that the former has a population roughly one tenth that of the latter (~380,000 vs ~4,000,000).
Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga, Christchurch… When is Dunedin going to get their giant waste of money announcement..?