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30 August 1999 |
New Expressway Will Speed Up Traffic
Travel times for motorists in the east of Christchurch will be shortened by the Woolston-Burwood Expressway, says the Christchurch City Council streets manager, Mark Gordon, when announcing construction details for the new road.
"Motorists can look forward to a new link between Travis Road and New Brighton Road by the middle of next year, while the next stage of the expressway, across the river to Wainoni Road, should be finished by 2001.
"Once construction if complete, motorists will find their travel times reduced while local residents, particularly in Avondale and Burwood, will experience the benefits of diverting the traffic to a new main road. Previously there has been no definite route through this part of the city.
"Motorists using the new expressway can expect a typical time saving of between one and one and a half minutes each journey. When you consider that an estimated 9000 motorists will use the new road each day, the aggregated saving will provide a great benefit to the city as a whole.
"A particular safety advantage will be diversion of traffic flows from Avondale Road and Breezes Road, where four schools are situated with a combined roll of about 2500 pupils, " Mark Gordon said.
Work on the Travis Road to New Brighton Road section of the new expressway is expected to start in December, and is scheduled for completion in May 2000.
A new bridge across the Avon River and an extension of the expressway to Wainoni Road will be the next stage, due for opening by February 2001.
A further section of the expressway, linking to Brook Street, is also planned and the final link, to Dyers Road, is expected to be complete by 2003.
In February 2000 part of Hulverstone Drive will be physically stopped to enable construction of the New Brighton Road to Wainoni Road section of the expressway.
A reserve, car parks, accesses to the river, and a cycle-way will replace this part of Hulverstone Drive. Residents of Hulverstone Drive, which will effectively become two streets, are being offered options to change their street name and property numbers.
Total cost to construct the Woolston-Burwood Expressway is estimated at $12.3 million. The Christchurch City Council and Transit New Zealand, through Transfund, will jointly fund this.
Creation of a "green corridor" is associated with the construction of the expressway. This is a five-year project being undertaken by the Christchurch City Council, which will establish a series of waterways, wetlands, tree planting, and reserves from Heathcote and Avon Estuary via the Avon River and Bottle Lake Forest to Brooklands Lagoon.
Further information:
Sharon O’Neill, project engineer, City Streets Unit, Christchurch City Council, 941 8665