Roads

On this page:

SH1 information 

SH1 reopening

SH1 reopens on the afternoon of Friday 15 December. From Saturday 16 December onwards the road will be open 7am to 8.30pm  (closed overnight). The road remains fragile in places and all travelers should check for the latest updates before they travel

Estimated journey times from various locations can be found here 

Updates can be found on the NZ Transport Agency website (bear in mind some updates may take a while to trickle through) or by calling the NZTA call centre 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).

Current local roadworks (updated 19 December)

As the rebuild gains pace you’ll begin to see more roadworks and changes across the District. We’ll do everything we can to keep you up to date. However, it’s a big, fast moving job so please be patient.

Mt Fyffe Road: 

Around 3km of Mt Fyffe Rd is currently gravel (from Ludstone to Mackles bore). This includes an approximately 800 metres section where the sewer main needs to be replaced (between Hawthorn Rd intersection and Totara Lane). In addition, Mount Fyffe Road between Postmans Road and Topline Road was gravel before the earthquake and remains gravel. Since the earthquake there has been significant increases to the traffic on this part of the road. With summer weather, this area is now very dusty. 

From December 6th the road will be watered twice a day (morning and evening) to help control the dust. Please drive safely and stay off the road as much as possible.

Binding agents that will help suppress dust will be applied in the week beginning the 18th December.

Sealing should take place in the second week of January.  Before Christmas preparations will start to add gravel and shape the currently unsealed section. Watering of the road will continue until the sealing has been completed. 

Before we can reseal the road we need to understand if any more pipes or services and culverts/ bridges in the area need replacing. We hope to be able to reseal the section of the road unaffected by the sewer in the near future. 

We are working with NCTIR and the police to monitor speeds in the area. Speeding or unsafe driving complaints should be referred to the police as soon as possible after they happen. 

Hawthorne Bridge: We know how important it is to get Hawthorne Bridge fixed as quickly as possible.  We’re moving as fast as we can. Before we can start building, we have to make sure we’ve planned for the potential impacts on the road from the proposed deviation of SH1. We also needing to make sure our funders are happy with the design and plans.

We hope to have contractor on board by the end of March 2018. We estimate that construction will take up to 6 months from then (September 2018).

Just like all our rebuild work, we’ll work as fast as is safe and affordable and keep you updated as we go.

Brighton Street has been closed to all traffic between Torquay Street and the end of the Commercial Hotel building until further notice.

Parking rules back in action

From the 27th of December onwards Council will resume the enforcement of parking rules and along West End and charging for parking in the West End pay and display carpark. 

The 60 minute time limit for parking in front of businesses will be enforced, with cars who overstay the limit potentially being given infringement notices.

For the West End pay and display carpark, parking fees will need be paid and tickets properly displayed. Cars not displaying correct tickets will receive infringement notices. 

The reinstatement of parking controls is to help make sure parking is avialable for those who need it. It is also one small way of ensuring visitors and those using our parking services contribute to paying for essential services and keeping rates affordable.

Please spread the word!

Speeding or unsafe driving: 

With the increased traffic on our roads due to the rebuild and NCTIR work, please take extra care. Drive to the conditions and watch your speed. We're working with NCTIR and the police to make sure everything possible is being done to enforce careful and safe driving on our roads - do your part too. Complaints should be referred to the police as soon as possible after they happen. You can:

Useful links: