Stadium footpath roadworks triple commute times, business owner says
Saturday, 1 November 2025
The final roadworks around Christchurch’s new stadium have seen the commute for people trying to get to a nearby gym balloon from 10 minutes to more than half an hour, its owner says.
The work is part of the final phase of the Te Kaha Surrounding Streets project, which Isaac Construction previously warned would include traffic light and “minor paving works”.
Temporary fencing has gone up, reducing Madras, Tuam, and Barbadoes streets to one lane, so work areas are sectioned off for the installation of new footpath asphalt and street furniture, bike stands, and a new bus shelter.
The work is expected to be finished in mid-December. But for some, the disruption has been anything but minor.
Josh Ngatai, owner of BoxHiit30 fitness studio near One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, said the asphalting work had caused lengthy delays for members, and all city commuters.
“My members come here for a really good half an hour workout, they now have to double the amount of time,” Ngatai said.
Customers who typically took five to 10 minutes to reach his gym are now spending 30 to 35 minutes in traffic, he said, since temporary fencing and lane closures were put in place in late October.
His frustration centred around why lanes had to close on each street, creating an oversized work zone with minimal activity.
“They’ve closed down a lane, they’ve put a fence … 5m away from what they’re working on and there’s no one working on it,” Ngatai said. “The fence isn’t going to be easily movable because it’s a concrete bollard.”
According to a Christchurch City Council update the work is scheduled from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. Once complete, temporary fencing will move off the street to the stadium boundary until the venue opens in April.
The temporary lane closures are needed so contractors can work safely, it said.
Some nearby businesses endured their worst trading and felt cut off from the city and buried in roadworks after the surrounding streets project work started in July 2024. It was expected to take 18 months, but finished ahead of schedule earlier this year in July.
The work involved replacing century-old water pipes and sprucing up the streets to make it easier for people travelling around.
Isaac Construction previously warned other contractors would also be carrying out work before Christmas, which includes stone paving repairs on High St, geotechnical investigative work on Fitzgerald Ave, safety improvements at two Moorhouse Ave intersections and night works on Manchester St in November for resurfacing.
Isaac Construction referred all questions about the final paving works to the council.
Lynette Ellis, head of transport and waste management, said the council has this week been installing temporary fencing around the stadium for asphalting work to start next week.
“The fence needs to be placed in the traffic lane so contractors can carry out their work safely. This is the last piece of work to complete the stadium precinct.
“Once finished, the fencing will be moved from the road to the stadium boundary, allowing the traffic lanes to reopen.”
Ellis said the fences are being secured with one-tonne concrete blocks to stop them being blown into traffic by the wind, requiring a crane to move them, which cannot be done at weekends.
“We’re sorry for any disruption the work causes. Our priority is keeping workers safe, but we always try to balance this with minimising impacts for residents, business owners and commuters.
“Undertaking small sections of footpath work at a time would add considerable time to the duration of the works. Doing all the work in one go will help keep impacts to a minimum.”