COUNCIL ADOPTS EXPRESSWAYS

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31502, 17 October 1967, Page 18

COUNCIL ADOPTS EXPRESSWAYS

Three expressways were adopted by the City Council last evening for inclusion in the roading network of the district planning scheme; and the council also approved realignment of Madras Street at Latimer Square and Montreal Street at Cranmer Square.

The first expressway considered was called the Brougham, and comprised Jerrold Street, South Crescent Road and Brougham Street.

At present there was only one major east-west route to the south of the central business district Moorhouse Avenue, the city development committee said.

This was rapidly approaching or had exceeded its practical capacity. The railway line formed a barrier to free movement into and round Sydenham and traffic was forced along narrow and badly-placed streets. There was a strong need for a new major distributor and link across the expanding industrial and commercial area.

It was proposed to carry the western pair of one-way streets—Montreal Street and Durham Street—across Moorhouse Avenue down to Brougham Street, which would help traffic flow and distribution between the city and the south without the early need for the more expensive motorway system. No satisfactory route existed to the southern and south-eastern areas of the city, the committee said when discussing the Waltham expressway. This was shown by increasing delays and frustrations to traffic on Colombo Street and Waltham Road. It was expected that traffic to the south-east and Lyttelton would increase considerably. Better Service Upgrading of Brougham Street to four-lane standard

would make a similar improvement to Waltham Road essential. Such a road would give a much better service to the neighbourhood and a satisfactory link tb toe north until the motorway bridge over Moorhouse Avenue was built. As in toe case of Brougham Street, a staged development of existing streets instead of expensive elevated motorways gave a better return for investment and at toe same time upgraded roads to. serve toe motorways when they were built, the committee said. Waltham Road was now narrow and dangerous. Property values and land use studies indicated that a general widening to toe east would be the best course, With only a small strip of land required on the west. With a slight Structural widening at the south end, toe present railway bridge could cope adequately with expected traffic flows.

In both expressways it had been found desirable to stop or restrict access to some minor streets, while maintaining of improving access through signal-controlled sections to those remaining open. The Woolston-Burwood expressway comprised part of Dyers Road, Bexley Road realigned and a new carriageway to connect to Travis Road, toe committee said. A new connection from Curries Road to Rutherford Street was included.

“The projected growth of population and commercial and industrial activity justify the planning of a route in this location,” the committee said. “Greater use of recreational facilities and the creation of new reserves will generate large volumes of traffic.”

The proposal was to designate land for toe eventual construction of a new one-

chain road from Curries Road bridging the railway and the geatocote River, utilising utherford Street to an intersection with Ferry Road. A new one-chain right-of-way would then join Dyers Road, which would be widened to four lanes and designated a limited access road to toe end of Bexley Road. This expressway was a fairly long-term planning proposal compared with toe Brougham Street and Waltham Road expressways, toe committee said, The proposal was that there should be control over development and access on the line of toe proposed road. . On toe deviations at the squares, the committee said Madras Street would be improved to the standard necessary for a one-way street and as part of the area-wide traffic control system. The landscaped area would be increased and by deviating traffic to the east the enjoyment of the open space would be made much easier for office workers and others in the city's centre. Similar .considerations applied at ' Cranmer Square, where it was proposed to deviate Montreal Street to the east and link the open square area to the schools and institutions on the west.