13 May 2022

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Contractors are using the next phase of work on Te Ara Ihutai Christchurch Coastal Pathway to get an idea of how the community could be affected by upcoming work on a tricky section around Moncks Bay.

Fulton Hogan are building the final section of the Coastal Pathway between the eastern end of Redcliffs Village and Shag Rock, Sumner.

They have been making good progress but are about to start work on a 110-metre stretch near the boat sheds at Moncks Bay where it is too narrow to safely maintain both their worksite and two-way traffic.

They have looked at two options for carrying out the work and surveyed the local community about what they would prefer – one lane of traffic during the day for 12 weeks, or roadworks from 8pm to 6am for six weeks.

Christchurch City Council Head of Transport and Waste Management Lynette Ellis says the project team is still weighing up the feedback and balancing the needs of the project and the wider community.

“There’s one section to complete near Shag Rock further from residential properties, which has similar conditions to the really tricky Moncks Bay section we’re still mulling over, and we think it’s the perfect opportunity to use our night works approach and see how the community is impacted,” Ms Ellis says.

Crews will be working at the Shag Rock corner between 8pm and 6am for five nights from Sunday 15 May, and using noise mitigation measures.

The initial narrow section of Moncks Bay work, which starts on Wednesday 18 May, will see traffic reduced to one lane. Work will take place between the morning and afternoon peaks so that two-way traffic can be restored at the busiest times of the day.

“Both day and night approaches obviously have their pros and cons, and using both over the coming week will tell us a lot about how to best manage construction when we start work in earnest on the narrow section of Moncks Bay,” Ms Ellis says.

“First, it will let us see just how much impact the lane closure will have on traffic. We will also get a feel for the impact of the night works on residents in the area.

“By undertaking some work during the day it will mean the noisiest part of the work – the cutting of the channels for the underground pipes and cables and finding existing services – will have already been done. This will make a difference to the people who live immediately around the area and who were the most concerned about the impact of any night works.

“Our approach takes into account both the requirement to progress and finish the project as quickly as possible, and the wellbeing of the community that’s affected by these very disruptive works. We want to be done as quickly as possible so that people’s lives return to normal sooner.

“Fulton Hogan will do all they can to reduce the noise overnight, and will stay in touch with residents to keep tabs on how things are going. We want to thank everyone for their patience while we finish building the Coastal Pathway. The full-length Te Ara Ihutai will be well worth the wait.”

Once complete, Te Ara Ihutai Christchurch Coastal Pathway will stretch 6.5 kilometres from the Ferrymead Bridge to Scarborough Beach in Sumner, and allow people to enjoy walking, cycling, scooting or skating safely off-road along the coast.

Residents who want more information can contact the Fulton Hogan team via 0800 ROADFH or cant.info@fultonhogan.com, or arrange an in-person meeting.