Christchurch Northern Corridor — funding approval for Christchurch City Council's elements

Applicant

NZ Transport Agency

Purpose

To seek approval for construction funding for the Northern Arterial Extension and Cranford Street Upgrade now that the Christchurch City Council (Council) has reconfirmed its financial commitment to those projects.

Date of decision

13 July 2016

Resolutions

The NZ Transport Agency Board:

1. Noted that in September 2015, it was agreed that we would advise you on the Christchurch City Council’s position on funding for the Christchurch Northern Corridor programme prior to awarding the Northern Arterial construction contract; and seek your approval of construction funding for the two Council projects (the Northern Arterial Extension and Cranford Street Upgrade) once negotiations with the Council had concluded.
2. Noted that the Christchurch City Council has now committed to delivery of its components of the Northern Corridor programme through its letter of 30 June and a proposed Multi-Party Funding Agreement with the Transport Agency.
3. Approved construction funding for Christchurch City Council’s Northern Arterial Extension and Cranford Street Upgrade projects at an estimated cost of $31 million.
4.  Noted that the reasons for this recommendation.
5. Noted that the Northern Corridor programme is part of the Christchurch Motorways programme (one of the Government’s Roads of National Significance), which has an investment profile of high strategic fit and high effectiveness with a programme benefit cost ratio of 4.6.

Reason for the decision

The Northern Corridor section of the Christchurch Motorways programme will provide an additional new route for travel between North Canterbury to the Central Business District and Lyttelton port.  The programme will improve journey trip reliability by providing a four-lane median-divided arterial that provides a more direct link at a higher average and more consistent operating speed (design speed of 100km/hr versus existing speeds of 50/60 km/hr). 

The Northern Corridor is the second step toward reducing total State highway traffic through Belfast; the first stage was commitment to the construction of the Western Belfast Bypass, which the Board agreed in March 2015.  When both are complete this will enable the existing network through Belfast and Northwood to be reconfigured to be an efficient passenger transport corridor and to reduce existing urban severance issues.

The Northern Corridor will deliver between 5 – 17 minutes travel time savings between the northern motorway and Cranford Street. This equates to significant benefits of $505m in travel time savings and reduced congestion, $84m in vehicle operating cost savings, and $25m in crash reductions.

The programme will take pressure off the Northcote/ Main North Road/ QEII Drive intersection, which is in the top 100 worst safety intersections.

The Christchurch Motorways programme has a funding profile of High Strategic fit, High Effectiveness and a benefit cost ratio of 4.6.  We consider that the construction funding should be approved based on the Roads of National Significance funding profile and priority.