Brougham St upgrade gets Government green-light
Wednesday, 5 February 2025
One of Christchurch’s busiest roads will be upgraded after ministers agreed to go ahead with a multimillion-dollar project that had been paused.
In May last year the Government decided to put the brakes on a $90 million upgraded to Brougham Street, State Highway 76, deciding it would have no further funding and only be readied to a “pre-implementation” phase.
The move outraged city leaders, who said Christchurch had been forgotten.
But on Wednesday Transport Minister Chris Bishop - accompanied by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger - said the Government would now prioritise upgrades to it as a road of regional significance.
The project is expected to cost up to $150m.
Work will start in the next few months and include an overbridge between Collins and Simeon streets.
Bishop said the Government’s change of mind could be credited to the efforts of Mauger, local MPs and Christchurch residents for making it clear how important the project was.
About 45,000 vehicles use Brougham St each day, including 4500 freight vehicles and trucks, many going to and from the South Island’s largest port, Lyttelton. It is also a key connection - and pinch point - for Christchurch’s Southern Motorway.
“Up to 1000 kids and people cross that state highway every day … It’s a project that can be delivered quickly and we want to crack on with it,” he said.
It was also about boosting economic growth and productivity - reducing congestion while also improving safety.
“This is truly a fantastic day for Christchurch,” Mauger said, taking partial credit for the investment as he corrected himself from work “we” to “I have done with Government officials” to get Brougham St upgrades brought forward.
“The man who does the traffic lights, puts paint on the road … that’s all going to filter out and it will give more jobs to Christchurch … it’s bloody good stuff.”
Asked if it was a sign of more investment to come in the South Island, Luxon said there was already “tremendous investment” in the South Island, like the commitment to the new Ashburton bridge and a new Dunedin Hospital they would build “with the budget that we’ve got”.
“So be under no illusions. We’re deeply committed to the South Island, and when you’re the prime minister from Christchurch it’s a big priority.”
Overall funding for the revamp project will be confirmed “in due course” once a contractor has been appointed, but Bishop estimated a cost of between $100m and $150m.
Just nine months ago, the Government announced it would only fund the design and consenting phase of the project. A spokesperson for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said construction would not be progressed but revisited in “future years”.
Bishop, who last month replaced Simeon Brown as transport minister, said he could not take the credit for the change of heart. The Cabinet agreed to use contingency funds from Budget 2024 “at the tail end of last year” he said.
Construction is expected to begin by mid-2025, subject to statutory approvals. Finishing the overbridge is expected to take two years, and wider improvements will begin once property and consenting requirements are completed.
“The intersection upgrades and other interventions along the corridor will improve efficiency and safety as well as making travel times more reliable,” Bishop said.
Labour MP Megan Woods credited the community for making the project happen, saying she hoped their outrage - expressed through a petition and directly contacting National MPs - made the Government realise “they made a huge mistake”.
“There has been a loud message from the South Island about how abandoned it has felt,” she said. Delaying the project had been “unacceptable”.