Update
We have been working hard to finalise plans for the Russley Road (SH1) Harewood Road to Avonhead Road, including the Russley/Memorial Interchange Project.
We've been working closely with the Christchurch City Council, the airport and the local community to come up with the best plans for our future. To make sure we fully consider their views and all the options, we're taking a bit more time to finalise our proposals, which we're now aiming to present in mid 2012.
In November 2010 we presented plans for the upgrade of Russley Road (SH1) including a grade separated interchange (over-bridge) at the Russley (SH1)/Memorial intersection. For this interchange to work safely access at Wairakei Road needed to be reduced and access at Avonhead Road needed to be closed. We received a lot of feedback about the planned changes to Russley Road (SH1) and the impact on the local community. We have considered all this feedback in depth and made amendments to the scheme where it was safe and effective to do so.
We have also completed a Transport Impact Assessment (TIA) and a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) to help measure the likely effects of this highway plan on the local area. The findings of these studies and the community feedback have shaped the changes we have made to the highway plan. The main changes are:
- Increased access at Wairakei Road (Access has increased from a left turn in only on the city side of Wairakei as proposed previously to a left turn in and left turn out)
- An upgraded Harewood Road roundabout to increase capacity and efficiency at this intersection.
These changes make access to Russley Road (SH1) and the airport possible from Wairakei Road, providing heavy vehicles with an alternative route rather than local roads such as Roydvale Avenue and Wooldridge Road.
