$41 million roading project kicks off after five deaths and 30 injuries

Waimakariri District Council Mayor Dan Gordon (left) with Associate Transport Minister Kieran McAnulty.

A stretch of State Highway 1, which has claimed the lives of five people since 2010, will be the centre of a new roading project which kicked off on Wednesday morning.

Shovels hit the ground in Waimakariri, north of Christchurch, to begin installing safety measures for the highway section between Saltwater Creek and the Cam / Ruataniwha River.

The stretch has seen five people die between 2010 and 2020, with 30 more drivers seriously injured.

Among the safety improvements, which will set the Government back $41 million, will be flexible median barriers and wide centrelines.

The bulk of the money allocated will cover mitigation of the parts of the highway where the crashes took place, while $6m will go to the district council to create “safe neighbourhoods” for pedestrians and cyclists in the region.

Waimakariri was one of 46 councils to receive funding for safety improvements through the Transport Choices package announced by Transport Minister Michael Wood last week.

The Waimakariri community is consulted on the latest safety measures to be put in place.

The package was to invest in councils to provide pedestrians with more confidence when moving around their region.

Associate Minister of Transport Kieran McAnulty called the safety project “critical for the people of Waimakariri”.

“Waimakariri’s application included plans to create cycle and shared paths for students to get to and from school, and safe cycleways between key centres like Pegasus, Woodend and Kaiapoi,” he said.

“These walking and cycle paths are part of our work to upgrade New Zealand’s transport infrastructure system to make it safer, more people-friendly, and more efficient for current and future generations to come.”

The stretch of State Highway 1 had already benefited from previous upgrades, including new speed limits between Waikuku and Williams Street, near Kaiapoi.

The region had also seen a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing for Woodend School pupils, among other safety measures.

Once the highway’s latest improvements are complete, the next phase will begin throughout North Canterbury, once detailed designs are completed and resource consents are obtained.

Construction for the next phase is slated to begin in 2024.