Project introduction

Making Brougham Street better will mean everyone can get along and across Brougham Street safely. Freight can get where it’s needed, to keep our economy thriving and people will have more travel choices that will work better for them and the environment.

  • Estimated project dates

    Jan 2019–Jan 2026
  • Estimated project cost

    $90 million
  • Project type

    Road improvements
  • Project status

    Design

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Update on the SH76 Brougham Street upgrade

We have been working with Joint Ministers on NZ Upgrade Programme (NZUP) projects, which were identified for Crown funding in 2020. 

The Government has confirmed that the NZUP will receive no new funding, and NZTA has been delegated authority to manage the current projects within the existing baseline funding of $6.54 billion.

The SH76 Brougham Street upgrade was assessed alongside other projects, and given the funding constraints, the Government has confirmed this project will not be funded for construction at this time.

As we progressed the design for the Brougham Street upgrade, it confirmed that to finish the entire upgrade, additional funding would be needed. The Government has been clear that the programme will receive no new funding.

The draft Government Policy Statement on land transport sets out the Government’s land transport priorities during the next ten years and NZTA is aligning with these priorities within the available funding. 

While the Brougham Street upgrade will not progress to construction at this time, we will continue with the design and consenting, so the project is delivery-ready in future years. Further delivery decisions will be made on this and other projects in future years subject to affordability.

Project overview

We have an opportunity to redesign one of Christchurch’s busiest roads, making it safer and easier for people to do everyday things like taking children to school, travelling to work or the shops, moving goods and doing business.   

The changes we’re recommending on State Highway 76 Brougham Street make use of the existing road space to move more people, more safely. They’re simple but effective changes that will provide people with different and safer ways to travel.

We want to move people, not more cars. We want to encourage more people to walk, cycle, carpool or take a bus, creating great outcomes for communities, our economy and our environment.

  • What changes are we planning?
    • To move more people, and help reduce congestion at peak times, we’re proposing ‘T2’ lanes on Brougham Street. These will operate in the morning and afternoon/evening when roads are busiest, and can be used by cars with two or more people, as well as buses and motorcyclists.
    • T2 lanes help people who share cars or use public transport avoid congestion, meaning they can get where they are going faster. In doing so they help reduce carbon emissions, as well as congestion. When the T2 lanes are operating in the morning and afternoon peaks, parking in the lane will not be available. The rest of the time people will be able to park there.
    • We’re recommending an overbridge as the safest option between Collins Street and Simeon Street for people who are walking or using a bike or scooter, and for people with impaired mobility. We have a concept and we’re working closely with iwi and key stakeholders like local schools on the design options for this bridge.
    • Intersections will be upgraded along Brougham Street. Traffic signals will be improved, and we’re adding turning arrows to make it safer and easier to turn onto and off Brougham Street. We’re also proposing some turning restrictions. These changes will help reduce queues, keep vehicles moving and make it safer for people using the pedestrian crossings. These changes will also make access across Brougham Street easier for people in cars, on foot or bikes and ensure public transport can move freely.
    • We’re recommending a shared path along the south side of Brougham Street, between Opawa Road and Simeon Street, joining up with the existing Little River Link Major Cycle Route. This path will make it safer for people to connect to the other walking and cycling facilities in the area. The north side footpath on Brougham Street will remain pedestrian only.
    • We’re proposing new signalised pedestrian crossings at Montreal and Gasson Streets and one near Wilsons Road. Existing pedestrian crossings along Brougham Street will be redesigned to give people more room, including people who bike or with impaired mobility. We also want to add pedestrian refuges at key places along Brougham Street. The refuges will give people a safe place to wait in the middle of the highway as they cross the road.
    • Our designs support public transport by making buses more convenient both along and across Brougham Street
    • We also want to review the speed limit along Brougham Street. We want everyone who travels on or over SH76 (State Highway 76) to be able to get where they’re going safely and easily.
    • We want to ‘green up’ parts of Brougham Street; a big change will be new planting along the south side of the road to separate the shared path from the road. In some areas we will connect the new planting to existing parks and green spaces.
    • We own the property on the corner of Brougham Street and Selwyn Street and have demolished the derelict buildings to allow for future intersection improvements. We now also own number 5 Collins Street, and the building will be demolished to make room for the proposed pedestrian/cycle overbridge between Simeon Street and Collins Street. All sites will be left tidy and safe.

    Map showing the proposed upgrades to SH76 Brougham Street, including overbridge, shared path, T2 lanes, intersection upgrades and crossings.

    View larger map [PDF, 4.5 MB]

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  • What does this mean for the people who use Brougham Street?

    When you are walking along Brougham Street you can use the existing footpath on the north side of the street, or the proposed shared path along the southern side of the street anywhere between Opawa Road and Simeon Street. Getting across intersections will be safer and easier, with improved signalised crossings at all intersections and new signalised crossings at Montreal Street, Gasson Street and near Wilsons Road. Changes to vehicle access on some streets will reduce the number of cars turning across your path. You’ll be able to use raised pedestrian crossings in some places or you can avoid traffic completely by using the new overbridge.  

    When you are cycling or scooting you can use the new shared path alongside those walking, with all the same safety benefits while travelling through intersections (see above). This shared path is also a great way for you to connect with existing Major Cycle Routes in the area, such as the Little River Link west of Simeon Street and the Quarryman’s Trail on Antigua Street. There will be dedicated space for cyclists at intersections and new painted cycle lanes to connect into existing Major Cycle Routes in the area.  

    If you’re catching the bus your driver will be able to beat some of the morning and evening congestion by using the new T2 lanes, providing more reliable travel times. Upgraded traffic signals at the intersections of Colombo and Selwyn Street let buses go ahead of other vehicles too.  

    When you are driving along Brougham Street and there’s two or more people in the vehicle you’ll be able to save yourself some time by driving in a T2 lane. If you’re a passenger, you also get to enjoy a bit of down time! You will be sharing this lane with buses, and people on motorcycles. 

    You will not be able to use the T2 lane if you are by yourself, but you will still benefit from reduced traffic. Every car you see in the T2 lane means two fewer cars in your lane. New right-turn signals at major intersections will make it safer and easier for you to turn off or onto Brougham Street and get where you’re going. There will be some changes to vehicle access that may take some adjusting to, with ‘no turn’ signs added on certain side streets, and on-street parking available only during off-peak hours to allow for the T2 lane during peak times.  

    If you’re riding your motorbike along Brougham Street you will experience most of the same changes as other vehicles on the road (see above), with one exception. You will be able to drive in the T2 lane during peak times, even if you don’t have a passenger.  

    If you drive a truck, you’ll notice a difference at the traffic lights. The changes we’re making will see traffic signals optimized at peak times to make it easier to get to and from important places, like the Port.  

    Map of Brougham Street showing alternative routes

    View larger map [PDF, 569 KB]

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Proposed cycling and walking overbridge between Collins Street and Simeon Street

Because it’s important to us that the proposed cycling and walking overbridge between Collins Street and Simeon Street works for the community who will be using it, we invited members of the local community groups and people who cross Brougham Street to participate in a Bridge Feedback Group (BFG) to share their ideas, aspirations, and feedback about the proposed pedestrian/cycle overbridge. The Bridge Feedback Group includes mana whenua and people from organisations who represent older community members, cyclists, schools, those who are differently abled and heritage and community groups.

To help make sure the bridge is right, we have been meeting with this group to discuss and test our concepts. We have discussed safety, lighting and accessibility, landscaping, storytelling and design. In June 2023 we asked this group and other volunteers from the community to take part in some virtual walkthrough sessions.

  • Video: Virtual walkthrough of the bridge concept

    A virtual walkthrough model was developed to help us share a skeleton of the bridge concept with session participants. The groups were able to ‘walk or ride’ through the model and give their insights of how they felt the bridge would function both during the day and at night.

    We have made this short video below to show the model in action so everyone can see it. Please note the bridge shown in the video is purely a skeleton concept to give participants an idea of what it would feel like to walk or cycle over and does not reflect the final design of the overbridge. The design work will come next.

    Insights from both the Bridge Feedback Group sessions and the virtual walkthrough are helping our design team ensure the bridge is user friendly and nice to look at.

    Video link(external link)

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