Traffic heading south out of Christchurch will be able to travel on the new Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 1 from this weekend.
The Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 1 (CSM1) is one of a package of roading projects that make up Christchurch’s Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme. Now nearing completion, the Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 1 will be the first of these projects finished in the South Island. This project will be formally opened on Friday 14 December by Minister of Transport Gerry Brownlee.
“There is significant pressure on Christchurch roads to cope with the rapid increase in traffic growth so it is critical we that we open the motorway to traffic as soon as work is completed,” says NZ Transport Agency Christchurch State Highway Manager Colin Knaggs.
“This weekend we will open the southbound lanes, helping traffic heading out of the city, and we’re aiming to complete work in the second week of December which will enable traffic heading into the city to use the new motorway.”
The new eight kilometre long four-lane, median-separated motorway, which runs between Collins Street and Halswell Junction Road, will provide a safer, more efficient and reliable route between the Central City, Lyttelton Port and south-west Christchurch. This project also includes the already complete 2.5 km Halswell Junction Rd upgrade.
