Cycleway Construction – Summer Progress

Thanks for your Patience

This summer has had its ups and downs weather-wise; from the drab and drizzly during December, to wetter and even more miserable at times over Xmas. Now we’re into a real summer Canterbury style, rainy days excepted it’s been good to enjoy a stay-at-home holiday period to bike around the city and see some cycleway construction progress.

Thanks for your Patience

First up to be excited about has to be the opening of the Northern Arterial Corridor Shared Path from Cranford Street to Waimakariri bridge, then on through to Kaiapoi and Rangiora. If that’s your pleasure, then what a pleasure it has been. Ten years ago, this cycle connection to the Waimakariri River and beyond was barely thinkable. And now here we are. It’s all been positive so far. Motorists driving the corridor expressing surprise how many cycles they’ve seen puttering along the way, a café in Kaiapoi heard to be welcoming and enjoying patrons coming from Christchurch by bike, and some great feedback from those who have ridden it to those that haven’t… yet. It’s a must do!

{If you’re interested, don’t forget that there’s a guided ride from Papanui to Kaiapoi on Sun Feb 21st – Ed}

We’re just waiting for the final asphalting to the Rutland Reserve pathway which links the Papanui Parallel Cycleway through to the Cranford Street / Nthn Arterial roundabout.

NW Arc Spreydon Domain

In other parts of the city there has been good progress too. The Nor’ West Arc Cycleway particularly from Centennial Park in Spreydon through to the Little River Link connection at Middleton is taking shape. North of Blenheim Road there is further good progress along Hansons Lane and Suva Street. It is easy to see what a great connection this is going to be for getting to the University from southern areas and also to give a better cycling experience for those wishing to bike to no less than 13 schools within the vicinity.  Completion is expected sometime mid-year.

NW Arc Annex Rd

Also underway is the South Express cycleway which runs from Hagley Park to Templeton. This cycleway will pass near to nine schools and provide a much better ride from the west for those going to the CBD.

Sth Exp Elizabeth St

As a picture tells a thousand words, the story continues visually…


Have you noticed the new cycleway works around the city?

6 thoughts on “Cycleway Construction – Summer Progress”

      1. “Let drivers learn and exhibit bad behaviors, without penalty and then have to un-learn them” ? Seems like the hardest row to hoe.

  1. I can’t wait for the South Express Cycleway from Templeton into the City to be built. Should make the commute around the Templeton area a little less treacherous from Rolleston.

    1. Ant – to be honest the two scariest pain points from Rolleston have been addressed, with the Weedons overbridge bypassing the “gateway of doom”, and with Manion Road and the shared pathway removing the narrowest parts of Jones Road. The remaining bits of Jones and Waterloo are not ideal, but they are “better”.

      I found it noteworthy that the road-works redirection arrows were sending town-bound cyclists onto SH1 from the shared pathway at Dawsons, then into the 100 km/h passing lane toward Templeton. But having ridden it a bit, the shoulder is a lot wider so its not “too” bad. It’s absolutely not great being on a 100 km/h road, but 100km/h+shoulder is better than 60+km/h with zero shoulder IMO. (a nice smooth free-flowing shared pathway is completely preferred of course!)

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