Final section of major cycleway complete

The ribbon has been cut on Christchurch's first complete ‘shovel-ready’ project.

The $7.85 million final stage of the Rapanui-Shag Rock cycleway was officially opened this morning.

It is one of six cycle routes to benefit from the Government’s ‘shovel-ready’ COVID-19 infrastructure fund and is the latest addition to the Christchurch City Council’s Major Cycle Routes.

 Work began on the first stage of the cycleway in Linwood back in 2015.

“The cycleway includes a total of 7.4km of shared paths and neighbourhood greenways, connecting three schools and pre-schools, as well as eight parks and reserves so it’s a really important link,” Heathcote Ward Councillor Sara Templeton says.

This new section takes riders from Dyers Road to the Ferrymead Bridge.

Part of the new Rapanui Shag Rock cycle route.

It goes through Charlesworth Reserve, a tidal wetland home to native birds and more than 100,000 trees and shrubs, before connecting back to Humphreys Drive on the reserve side of the Ferrymead shops.

“This hasn’t just been the construction of a cycleway. We’ve planted upwards of 35,000 additional trees and shrubs along the route to help improve the health of Linwood Canal, as well as support local inanga or whitebait,” Cr Templeton says.

“There has also been a lot of work done on the failing seawall along the front of Tidal View which has totally been replaced, as well as streetscaping with new picnic tables, cycle parking, a drinking water fountain and even an outdoor shower for the windsurfers and foilers making the most of The Estuary.”

Two new signalised crossings on Humphreys Drive provide safe crossing points for people using the cycleway, and provide a connection to the Ferrymead Bridge to Redcliffs section of the Christchurch Coastal Pathway.

“It’s exciting to think once the Coastal Pathway is complete in 2023, there will be a safe cycleway all the way from the central city to Sumner, one of our most distant suburbs,” Cr Templeton says.

“It will make things safer and more convenient for commuters and students and will also be a fantastic recreational path.”