Better streets & spaces  |  22 Jan 2019

A raft of roading changes are being recommended for the Cranford Street area ahead of the opening of a new northern motorway extension that will cut travel times in and out of Christchurch.

The Christchurch Northern Corridor extends the Northern Motorway through to QEII Drive and Cranford Street and will make travel times in and out of Christchurch shorter.

However, traffic modelling indicates that traffic volumes are likely to increase on Cranford Street, south of Innes Road, and in some of the surrounding streets when the CNC opens.

As part of the  conditions of the designation for the CNC, Christchurch City Council is required to address the downstream traffic effects.

The Council engaged an independent traffic expert, Dr Shane Turner, from Stantec, to recommend appropriate traffic mitigation measures. To assist Dr Turner’s work community feedback was sought on potential options that could help mitigate the impact of the increased traffic volumes.

“Dr Turner has considered the feedback from the community and prepared a draft Downstream Effects Management Plan detailing his recommended approach. We will be presenting his plan to the Papanui-Innes Community Board on Friday,’’ says the Council’s Acting Head of Transport Steffan Thomas.

The draft management plan recommends that a number of projects be undertaken before the CNC opens, including:

  • Introducing peak period clearways along Cranford Street from Innes Road to Berwick Street.
  • Upgrading the Westminster Street/Cranford Street intersection.
  • Upgrading the Berwick Street/Cranford Street intersection.
  • Adding traffic lights to the Forfar Street/Warringon Street and the Barbadoes Street/Warrington Street intersection.
  • Introducing reduced speed limit areas on some of the local roads in the area.
  • Introducing traffic calming measures on Mersey Street, Knowles Street, Weston Road, McFaddens Road, Malvern Street and Dee Street.
  • Carrying out an investigation into safe crossing options on Cranford Street, including the option of a new mid-block signalised crossing near the English Park carpark entrance.

“In addition to these projects, the draft management plan also recommends a series of projects that should be undertaken within three years of the CNC opening, as well as some more long-term projects.

“The community will be given an opportunity to provide their feedback on the recommendations in the draft management plan before the Council makes any final decisions about how to proceed,’’ Mr Thomas says. "We will then consult on the individual projects that come out of the plan before any work begins.''