Some examples of how the NZ Transport Agency is delivering on the government’s strategic priorities and objectives for land transport are outlined below.
Travel over the Southern Region’s alpine passes, such as State Highway 73 that connects Canterbury to the West Coast, can be challenging for the tourists, freight drivers and locals who traverse them. As the highways are often cut into the side of steep, mountainous terrain they are narrow and prone to rock falls and slips during periods of rain or snow.
In September 2013 a large landslip closed State Highway 6 on the West Coast between Haast and Makarora.
On 20-21 June 2013 a severe storm hit Wellington, causing significant damage and disruption to the region’s transport network. The immediate impacts of the storm included ferry cancellations, road closures (due to debris and storm surge), airport and rail line closures and disruption to bus services.
Prior to the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes the township of Lyttelton and Lyttelton Port (the largest port in the South Island) were serviced primarily by the Lyttelton Tunnel. Sumner Road provided the designated regional lifeline route and was used for the movement of hazardous goods and overweight and over-sized vehicles between Christchurch and Lyttelton.
