Motorists travelling along State Highway 1 to the west of Christchurch are enjoying better travel times with today's opening – ahead of schedule – of the second section of the Western Corridor upgrade.
Johns Road, from Sawyers Arms Road to Harewood Road, has today been opened to four lanes of traffic, with vehicles again being able to travel at 80km/h along this section of the Western Corridor, says the NZ Transport Agency’s Canterbury/West Coast State Highway Manager Colin Knaggs.
"This section was scheduled for opening in February."
The Western Corridor is part of Christchurch’s Roads of National Significance programme, one of three corridors, one each to the west, south and north of the city, which are critical in supporting the Christchurch rebuild and the economic growth of Canterbury through the efficient movement of people, freight and services, and by linking the Christchurch Airport, the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch and Central City.
Mr Knaggs says the next section of the Western Corridor to be completed will be the four laning of Carmen and Masham roads mid next year. “This will then see the Western Corridor four-laned from Avonhead Road to Main South Road.”
He says good progress is being made on the Western Corridor. “This is a big project. It involves upgrading 12kms of existing highway and intersection improvements, including a Gateway Bridge at Memorial Avenue and a Southern Airport interchange near Avonhead Road, and the construction of 4kms of new road.
“When completed in 2018/19, the Western Corridor will provide a four-laned expressway from north of Belfast through to Hornby.”
