SH73/SH75 Christchurch to Akaroa and SH74 Lyttelton speed limits

The Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 requires some speed limits that were lowered over the past few years to be reversed to their previous higher speed limits. There are 3 locations from Christchurch to Akaroa where sections of state highway will automatically reverse (no consultation) to their previous higher speed limits by 1 July 2025.

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Proposed speed limit changes

Lower speed limits on roads between Christchurch and Akaroa will make travel a much safer and more enjoyable experience for locals and visitors alike, whether people are driving, riding motorcycles, cycling or walking.

People told us they felt unsafe turning at intersections, pulling out of driveways, crossing the road to catch the bus and they were concerned for children on bikes. As well as safer speed limits, we’ll be taking steps to support a safer environment for everyone using the road.

NZTA and Christchurch City Council consulted with the public and stakeholders in November-December 2021, on safe and appropriate speeds for:

• State Highway 73 and State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa.
• Side roads and settlements between Motukarara and Takamatua.
• State Highway 74 Norwich Quay/Gladstone Quay in Lyttelton.

A small change in speed on these routes will make a big difference to the outcome of a crash and the people involved.

SH73 in Christchurch is a busy urban corridor, while SH75 south of Halswell passes through many rural townships and intersections, school zones, open road and constrained hilly areas, with no separation of traffic travelling in opposite directions. SH74 at Lyttelton is a thoroughfare for freight to and from the port, and people walking and cycling.

From 2011-2020, there were 739 crashes on SH73 and SH75*. Nine people were killed and 72 people suffered serious injuries in these crashes, leaving families grieving and many people with potentially life-long injuries.

The best thing we can do to prevent people from dying or being seriously injured is to ensure speed limits are safe and right for the road, especially on state highways where pedestrians and cyclists mix with general traffic. 

Following a joint community consultation process, our partner Christchurch City Council decided speed limits on some side roads adjoining the highway from Motukarara through to Takamatua. These speeds align with local road speed changes introduced in 2021 on Banks Peninsula.

*On SH73/75 over the period 2011-2020, data extracted August 2021 from the Crash Analysis System (CAS).

These speed limits were decided and the legal process to implement them was completed on 11 May 2022.

To help remind drivers, the date the new speeds apply will be advertised in local media for 4 weeks. There will also be temporary electronic signs on the roadside for a couple of weeks and local police will be in the area closer to the time.

* Electronic Variable Speed Limit school zone signs display an enforceable speed limit that can be activated during peak school traffic times. The school zone speed limit may operate from 35 minutes before school until the start of school, and from 20 minutes at the end of school, beginning no earlier than 5 minutes before the end of school. It may also operate for 10 minutes at any other time when vehicles are entering or leaving school grounds or there is pedestrian or cycle activity on the road outside school. When the school zone is active, the speed limit is 30km/h and will be displayed on an electronic sign. At all other times, the speed limit is 50km/h.

** We consulted on 60km/h and 80km/h at Takamatua Straight and asked people for more feedback to help us with our final decision because our technical evidence supported both speed limits safely. We decided on 60km/h as this meets people’s requests for consistent speeds and will reduce the risk of near-misses people have reported at the intersection of Takamatua Valley Road/SH75 and there are cyclists and pedestrians around. 60km/h is also more aligned with the 40km/h on local side roads at Takamatua.

View larger map [PDF, 759 KB]

NZTA’s considerations included a technical assessment of the highways which included factors such as crash data, the road characteristics, traffic volumes and the speeds people were driving at the time.

We engaged iwi partners, stakeholders and the community in mid-2021 to understand people’s views on speeds and where they felt unsafe.

Using the technical assessment and engagement feedback, NZTA proposed safer speed limits in conjunction with Christchurch City Council and formally consulted on these in late 2021.

Submissions were received from stakeholder organisations and the public on the proposed speed limit changes for both the state highways and local roads.

We considered this feedback carefully, and changes were made to the proposal - such as through Little River, past Wairewa Marae and at Takamatua.

Between 2011 and 2020 there were 739 reported crashes on SH73/75 and SH74. Nine people were killed and 72 seriously injured.
Lower speed limits were needed to reduce the number of crashes resulting in people being killed and suffering serious injuries.

As a result of engagement with the public, we prepared a resource to help people understand the types of crashes people were having from Christchurch to Akaroa.

SH73, 75 and SH74 Christchurch to Akaroa and Lyttelton speed review crash causes [PDF, 2 MB]

The causes of a crash do not change the fact that speed is the single biggest factor that determines if a person is killed in or survives a crash.

If we are aiming for a future where no-one is killed or seriously injured in road crashes, and to change how we think about our transport system, it helps to understand the situation on this road currently.

A safe transport system recognises people make mistakes and is designed so these mistakes don’t cost us our lives. Safer speed on our roads is one part of creating a safe system, and right now, ensuring speed limits are appropriate for this road environment is the quickest and most effective way we can save lives.

But we know there are other changes people want to see.

NZTA has 5 focus areas, including infrastructure and speed, vehicle safety, work-related road safety, road user choices and system management.

On SH73/75, NZTA began a three-year programme of renewing nearly 30km of road surface.  To support the new safe speeds, we will be adding some new signage, improving existing signage as well as painting new and enhancing existing line markings on the highway which all helps to create a safer road environment.

In the next couple of years, guardrail side protection to help prevent run-off road crashes will be installed at some high-risk locations along The Hilltop where there are steep drop-offs, and the highway is particularly windy. The scope and extent of this work is being investigated and will be subject to constructability, funding and confirming an appropriate mix of treatments (rumble strips and line marking).

In addition, a range of safety and resilience improvements along SH75, at locations mostly between Cooptown and Duvauchelle, have been identified and are in the pipeline. These could include installation of rumble strips and more guardrail along The Hilltop as well as opportunities for safe passing. This work is subject to feasibility, timing, and funding approvals.

NZTA is also looking into the feasibility of a shared use path for people walking and cycling between Little River and Cooptown.

We’ve seen a noticeable drop in the number of crashes on a similar rural highway corridor, since safer speeds were introduced.

Between Blenheim and Nelson, the benefits of safer speeds are reaching home – deaths and serious injuries have significantly reduced on SH6 since speeds were lowered in 2020*.

Some people who use the road regularly tell us it is a more enjoyable drive since the speed limits were reduced, with driver frustration, risky overtaking and longer travel times not proving to be significant issues.

* Since the speed reduction on SH6 between Blenheim and Nelson in December 2020, there has been a significant drop in serious and fatal crashes - from 10 serious and three fatal crashes in 2020 to two serious and one fatal crash in 2021 and 2022 to date.

Find out more about the lower speed limits on SH73/75 and SH74 by reading the frequently asked questions.

Frequently asked questions

Formal consultation on new speed limit proposals closed on 3 December 2021.

Across the four-week joint consultation period a total of 670 submissions were received from stakeholder organisations and the public.

View consultation summary and submissions [PDF, 1 MB]

More information about speed limits is available here: 

Speed limits