Earthquake Update
Planning and design for the Northern Arterial (new Northern Motorway) is back on track after the Christchurch earthquakes. A route has been chosen and this will go through the normal consenting process in due course. However, until Christchurch’s wider transport priorities have been confirmed there is still some uncertainty around the construction timing for this project.
State Highway 74 (Main North Road) passing through the suburbs of Belfast and Redwood provides the main access to the Christchurch City Centre, and Lyttelton Port via Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Drive.
Large volumes of local and through traffic along Main North Road create significant congestion at peak times, leading to delays for motorists and freight and reducing safety for all road users.
The proposed Northern Arterial is a new four-lane, median-separated state highway that will connect with the existing Christchurch Northern Motorway, south of the Waimakariri River bridges, and pass to the east of Belfast and Redwood connecting with QEII Drive near Winters Road. As part of this project QEII Drive will also be four-laned, between Main North Road and Innes Road to ensure traffic from the Northern Arterial flows freely.
This project will improve safety and reduce congestion on this vital transport corridor.
The Northern Corridor (the Arterial and QEII Drive) is a key project in the government’s roads of national significance programme, announced in 2009.
