A wet winter hasn’t hampered work on the $195 million Christchurch Southern Motorway – Stage 2 (CSM2) project, with more than 300,000 cubic metres of earth moved, two new local roads built and the first of eight bridges almost complete.
Bridge beam lift Main South Road
New drone footage of the project, released by the NZ Transport Agency today, shows the project is well underway.
Principal Project Manager Geoff Griffiths says people can expect to see more changes over the coming months as work ramps up.
“On Wednesday this week, two 180-tonne cranes put the final four ‘Super-T Beams’ that make up the Main South Road Bridge into place,” Mr Griffiths says.
“The structure, which will take Main South Road traffic up and over the motorway, is made up of 16 locally made precast beams, which range from 30 to 35 metres long and weigh up to 68 tonnes each. It will be the first of the project’s eight bridges to be finished.”
Along with the Main South Road Bridge, the CSM2 team have also started constructing the Waterholes Road and Trent Road bridges and built two new local roads - Tiptree Lane and Manion Road.
“These new roads will give people access to their homes and local businesses, and in the case of Manion Road, allow the CSM2 team to carry on with work to four-lane the motorway from Weedons Road towards Curraghs Road,” Mr Griffiths says.
“Meanwhile, at the city end of the project, John Paterson Drive is being realigned to join with Halswell Junction Road. This work will continue until the end of the year when the new alignment is expected to open to traffic.”
Mr Griffiths says people travelling around the Selwyn District, near the project, should expect detours and road closures at times as work on the project continues.
“Traffic will be closely monitored to try to reduce disruption and delays however people should plan ahead and allow extra travel time as work continues on the CSM2,” he says.
“We would also like to remind people to obey the traffic management that is in place while the project is underway. The speed restrictions and road closures are in place for your safety as well as the safety of our crews.”
The Christchurch Southern Motorway (Stage One, completed, and Stage Two, underway) is expected to halve travel time between Rolleston and Christchurch at peak times from 30 minutes to 15 and reduce fatal and serious crashes by 40 per cent.
Stage Two is on track to be open to traffic in early 2020.
Visit the Christchurch Southern Motorway – Stage Two project page for more information.
