Council committee approves Major Cycle Routes

Cycleways connecting Halswell to the Central City and Belfast to Riccarton were approved by Council committee today so that construction can start on the new routes next year.

Quarryman’s Trail and Northern Line cycleways are two of the 13 Major Cycle Routes that will be built over the next seven years. Construction is already underway on Papanui Parallel, Uni-Cycle and Little River Link.

Major Cycleway Routes Committee chair Andrew Turner says the decision is a key milestone for the two routes.

“It’s great to be able to approve Quarryman’s Trail and Northern Line to the detailed design and construction phase. These cycleways will connect suburbs and provide people with a safe, convenient and enjoyable cycling experience.”

Today’s decision follows community feedback on the routes with more than 600 submissions received across the two projects. A number of changes were made to the design of the two routes as a result of the feedback.

Changes include:

Northern Line

· Alternative route no longer required after Council was able to confirm with KiwiRail the use of the rail corridor.

Quarryman’s Trail

· Extension of the cyclepath further south to the main entrance of Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre
· Four additional carparks in various locations on the route
· Improved connectivity into Bradford Park
· Improved crossing facility at Dominion Avenue

The Major Cycle Routes programme will develop a network of routes linking shopping centres, businesses, schools, parks and popular destinations across Christchurch.

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