Avoid the Christchurch Northern Motorway if you can today and tomorrow

The Christchurch Northern Corridor motorway is currently reduced in capacity as the motorway team poured concrete last night for the new Waimakariri bridge decks and they cannot be travelled on today or tomorrow as per the update below.

Marshland Road, the Western Belfast Bypass as well as Main North Road/ the motorway are extremely busy today and some people have had delays mid afternoon up to 60 minutes. It is easing now.

The combination of great summer weather, jetboating, a parade in Kaiapoi and other events on the north side of the Waimakariri have all led to this unanticipated congestion today.

The Northern Corridor team/Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency apologise if you were unable to travel as quickly as anticipated. We encourage people who can maybe go in a different direction tomorrow for a summer’s outing to do so or to travel earlier or later in the day when traffic volumes are lower. The Waimakariri bridge situation will be the same tomorrow. Monday morning the situation should have eased as per description below.

Although the electronic signs have been advertising this work for several days, the amount of traffic was more than anticipated, so thanks to everyone for being patient if you were affected.

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SH1 and Waimakariri Bridge
Pouring the final section of concrete for the new Waimakariri bridge decks is going ahead as planned tonight from 6pm. The contraflow traffic control will again be in place over the weekend with both north and southbound traffic using the northbound bridge: one lane in each direction. We should have the bridge fully open again by 5.30am Monday 4 November. The bridge needs to stay closed while the concrete hardens. Vibration from vehicles can damage the concrete as it cures.

On SH1 we will be sealing the new lane that will connect to the new CNC motorway. To do this we will have one northbound lane on SH1, between Western Belfast Bypass and Waimakariri Bridge closed. The lane reduction will stay in place until 12pm on Monday 4 November.

We will start by using foam bitumen to make the road more durable and then apply chip seal. In between the foaming and chip sealing the surface needs to harden for one or two days so there will be times when it looks like we are not working.

The Tram Road on-ramp will be closed from around 7am to 6pm on 2 and 3 November.

With traffic reduced to one lane in both directions on SH1 over quite a long section of motorway, and to make sure everyone is safe, there will be a 30km/h speed reduction in place. Please stay in your lane and expect delays.

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