$65m plan to revamp gateway to New Brighton

Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Christchurch City Council has released plans to revamp the gateway to New Brighton

New Brighton is to benefit from a $65 million plan to address earthquake damage and improve emergency evacuation times from the coastal suburb.

The project - Gateway to New Brighton - involves major improvements to Pages Rd, including a new bridge, to improve the flow of traffic and boost safety, said Lynette Ellis, Christchurch City Council’s head of transport.

It is expected to shave up to 40 minutes off the evacuation time along the main route to and from New Brighton, Ellis said.

“Most importantly, this project will deliver a quicker and safer exit route from the area in emergency evacuations.”

The $65m plan will improve the entrance to New Brighton and make evacuation quicker in the event of an emergency.

Coastal ward community board member and lifelong New Brighton resident Jo Zervos said the proposal had been “definitely long-awaited”.

“This is the first time that the community has actually got to see the plans or to be included in the conversation,” said Zervos, who has lived in the area for over 30 years.

However, a lot of people were upset that New Brighton Rd would unlikely be included in the proposal, she said.

“It is one of the main roads into New Brighton, linking the industrial zone and Palms shopping mall. A lot of people use that road.”

Residents have been “very excited” about the proposal, she said, but also had concerns about emergency evacuation, said Zervos, despite the council’s assurances.

Roads will be redesigned as part of the project.

“In an evacuation, if you are clogged up at the bridge intersection, you’d be able to use the New Brighton Rd intersection as another option. But now that option has been taken away.”

The $65m will have to be approved as part of the council's 10-year budget , the long-term plan, Ellis said.

“There is $21.2m allocated in the current LTP. Depending on the outcome of the consultation, the budget for the final solution will need to be approved as part of the 2024/34 LTP.”

Under the plan, the new Pages Rd bridge will be slightly north of the existing bridge.

“We’ll realign Pages Rd to the new bridge and install traffic lights to replace the roundabout.

Development includes a new bridge at Pages Rd.

“The lights will be slightly north of the current roundabout and the roundabout area will become a pocket park featuring the existing palm tree,” she said.

“Moving the bridge location means people will be able to use the existing bridge while the new bridge is built.”

Construction is planned for the 2025/26 financial year and is expected to “take approximately two years”.

Ellis said there was a lot planned for the area in the next few years, and Gateway to New Brighton had taken all known plans into account.

Trees will be part of the street furniture, and paths widened to accommodate cyclists and walkers.

Among these plans are new wetlands in red-zoned land along the west bank of the Avon River, flood protection work, the City to Sea Pathway, and new housing developments.

“We can safely predict that this part of our city is going to be an increasingly popular place to visit, so we’ve made sure the road and the bridge will be resilient, not just to earthquakes, but to increased traffic.

“It needs to be a safe route for all modes of transport, whether that’s public transport, heavy vehicles, cars or people walking or cycling.”

With the City to Sea Pathway in mind, Pages Rd and the bridge will have a 4m-wide path for cyclists and pedestrians.

New Brighton is starting to gain momentum as more people move into the area. About 300 new homes are planned or about to be built in the coastal suburb in Christchurch.

In February a $2.5m village green surrounded by bars, restaurants and shops was proposed for New Brighton Mall.

The council is seeking public feedback on the Gateway project. Consultation opened on Monday and will close at 5pm on August 28.