Rolleston’s $5.6m Intersection Upgrade Ready To Roll

Wednesday, 16 April 2025, 9:02 pm
Article: Jonathan Leask - Local Democracy Reporter

A $5.6 million intersection upgrade on a key Rolleston route is almost complete, ending weeks of traffic headaches for motorists.

A Selwyn District Council spokesperson said the intersection between Levi Road and Masefield Drive is now fully operational and "only requires some finishing touches”.

“These are expected to be completed on April 24," infrastructure and property executive director Tim Mason said.

“This is of course weather dependent, and there will still be a period in which any small defects will be remediated after completion of work, if required.”

The intersection is a main arterial route linking traffic in and out of Rolleston to the Christchurch Southern Motorway, which had a speed limit increase to 110kph this week.

Contractors worked a straight 84 hours over the weekend of April 4-6 to install traffic lights and complete roading, piping, electrical works.

Mason said the “super weekend” of road works catapulted the project forward by nearly a month and allowed for all four entry points of the intersection to reopen for the first time since January.

The $5.6m budget covered all aspects of the project, including service alterations, design, audits, physical works, and construction monitoring, he said.

The intersection upgrade was originally included in the council’s 2021–31 long-term plan, ahead of Foodstuffs South Island announcing their development plans, Mason said.

Foodstuffs is building the South Island's largest Pak'nSave, covering 8100 square meters on the corner of Levi Road and Lincoln Rolleston Road.

It is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Mason said the specific details regarding commercial arrangements with developers are confidential.

It’s understood that development contributions from the new supermarket will have offset some of the $5.6m cost, as well as a NZ Transport Agency subsidy.

A new Mitre 10 Mega, planned next to the Pak’nSave, is going through the consenting process.

A private plan change request has been submitted to the council to rezone the area from medium-density residential to large-format retail.

The council decided last year to combine three different projects, including the widening of Levi Road, the new traffic lights, and the entry points for the new supermarket, to minimise the overall timeframes of the projects.

Council’s acting chief executive Steve Gibling said closing off all four entry points over the super weekend of road works sped up the work.

Contractors remained in regular contact with residents through text messages and house calls, provided a coffee cart, and helped some residents who struggled to access their driveway by carrying their groceries, he said.

“That work did not always remove all the inconvenience, but the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive as residents understood how important this temporary hassle would be to get the job done as soon as possible,” Gibling said.

“We understand the traffic delays and inconvenience for residents this has created, so we are excited to see the end of the tunnel.”

Isaac Construction Project Manager Dan Elliott said that from the night of April 3 to the morning of April 7, over 200 truckloads of asphalt were laid and 2500 staff hours were worked on the site.

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