Roads, footpaths and safety improvements focus of investment case

Christchurch City Council is proposing to spend $25 million to $30 million on improving the safety and condition of more than 100 roads in several suburban areas of the city impacted by the earthquakes.

The money for the road improvement work will come from the Christchurch Regeneration Acceleration Facility (CRAF), if an investment case prepared by Council staff is accepted.

The roads targeted for work are in the suburbs of Richmond, New Brighton, Linwood/ Woolston, Spreydon/ Somerfield/ Waltham/Beckenham, and Riccarton.

The nature of the work will vary from street to street but will include kerb-to-kerb rebuilds, footpath and carriageway resurfacing, traffic calming measures, lighting and access improvements.

“The areas that we are targeting are those that have experienced significant damage and disruption or increased transport demand due to the change in travel patterns following the earthquakes,’’ says Council Head of Transport Richard Osborne.

“We know people are still unhappy with the condition of some roads and footpaths. We want to make improvements to the condition of our assets to support the ongoing regeneration of the city and to make the transport system safer and more accessible,’’ Mr Osborne says.

The investment case prepared by Council staff also seeks $5 -7 million in funding from the CRAF to progress targeted road safety initiatives across the Christchurch transport network.

The safety initiatives will target transport corridors where collectively 829 crashes have occurred, including nine fatal crashes and 107 serious injury crashes.

The investment case also recommends that $5-8 million from the CRAF is put towards the implementation of bus priority measures on key public transport routes in the city.

“A separate business case is being progressed to determine the public transport priorities for improvement,’’ Mr Osborne says.

A report seeking the Council’s endorsement of the combined $40 million  investment case will be considered by the new Council when it meets on Thursday 31 October.

Read the report.