NZ Transport Agency
To seek the Board’s approval for investment in the Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 2 construction.
15 December 2015
The New Zealand Transport Agency Board:
|
a. |
approved funding for construction of the Transport Agency’s State Highway 76 Southern Motorway Stage 2 project at an estimated cost of $232 million |
|
b. |
approved an $18.6 million increase in funding for property acquisition for the Transport Agency’s Southern Motorway Stage 2 project, from $64.1 million to $82.7 million, due to the removal of direct access to properties on the four-laning section for safety reasons |
| c. |
noted that the project has been assessed under the Transport Agency’s Investment Assessment Framework as a component of the Christchurch Motorways Roads of National Significance programme with an assessment profile of high strategic fit, high effectiveness and a benefit-cost ratio of 4.6 (HH4.6) and that the reasons for the decision are shown at Attachment 1 |
| d. | noted the total expected out-turn cost for the Southern Motorway Stage 2 is estimated at $315 million (inclusive of construction phase and property). The 5th percentile cost is estimated at $288 million and the 95th percentile at $330 million. |
The Christchurch Southern Motorway Satge 2 (CSM2) section of the Christchurch Motorways Roads of National Significance programme (RONS) will provide an additional new route for travel between South Canterbury and the Central Business District. The project will improve journey time 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/h versus existing speeds of 70/80/100km/h).
The CSM2 has been assessed under the Transport Agency’s Investment Assessment Framework as a component of the Christchurch Motorways RONS and has an assessment profile of high strategic fit, high effectiveness and a benefit-cost ratio of 4.6 (HH4.6).
The CSM2 is the second step toward reducing total State highway traffic through the suburbs of Templeton, Hornby and Riccarton in southwest Christchurch. The construction of the first step, Southern Motorway Stage 1, was completed in 2012. Completion of both steps will enable the existing network through Hornby and Riccarton to be reconfigured to improve travel time reliability for passenger transport services and enable safety improvements at several high risk rural intersections.
The expected outcomes from investing in CSM2 include a reduction in travel times between Rolleston and the City by between 8 and 15 minutes; improved freight efficiency in and out of Lyttelton Port and Christchurch International Airport; and reduced congestion with 17,000 fewer vehicles per day in 2041 and over 2,000 fewer trucks travelling through Templeton daily. There is predicted to be a 40% reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes.
