NORTHERN MOTORWAY WILL OPEN TODAY

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31502, 17 October 1967, Page 20

NORTHERN MOTORWAY WILL OPEN TODAY

Today the first section of the new northern motorway will be opened. It comprises two miles and a quarter of road between the Belfast Hotel corner and Neeves Road, which is just north of Tram Road.

The opening of the first section of the motorway, which includes the two new bridges over the Waimakariri River, will be a milestone in the progress of the motorway itself and in the roading development of Canterbury. The official opening will be performed at 2 p.tn. today by the Minister of Works (Mr Allen). At first the new roads will cater for traffic between Tram Road and Belfast only, but construction is proceeding on connections to the Main North Road at Empire Road, and again near Chaneys. This latter connection will eventually form part of a motorway sweeping through the city and suburbs from Pinehaven in the north to Weedons in the south, a distance of about 26 miles.

At a still later stage the motorway will probably be extended north to Saltwater Creek, about eight miles north of Kaiapoi. The present phase of construction, however, covers only the section between Belfast, Chaneys and Pinehaven. It is hoped to complete this in the 1970-71 construction season.

The short section about to be put Into use will not eliminate congestion in Kaiapoi or on the section of No. 1 State Highway between Tram Road and the northern end of Kaiapoi. Beach Road and inland connections will still cause restrictions. However, the overall position should be greatly improved. The need for a better outlet than the present Main North Road has been evident for many years, but the decisions which led to the choice of the motorway route and the method of construction were based on years of investigation, planning and design by the Ministry of Works.

The criticism of conditions on the Main North Road dates back at least to 1955. Week-day traffic at the Waimakariri Bridge increased from 3000 vehicles a day in 1950 to over 6000 a day in 1964, and is expected to rise to 13,500 vehicles a day by 1980.

Weekend and holiday traffic reached 20,000 on Labour Day, 1955, and conditions must have deterred people so much that this figure has rarely been reached since.

fine Sunday and holiday figures. A sudden upsurge of Sunday traffic is expected with the opening of the motorway and the 1980 forecast is 35,000 a day.

In the light of past growth and forecasts for the future, a major report was prepared in 1957 covering a number of alternative proposals, which included two possible routes inland of Kaiapoi, a further two between Kaiapoi and the coast and a scheme of major improvements to the existing route.

This latter alternative was discounted, even with the provision of a by-pass for the major built-up area of Kaiapoi. Problems of ribbon development, speed restrictions and intersections would have remained. However, with the antici-

Twelve thousand to 18,000 vehicles a day are normal pated upsurge and the steady growth of Sunday and holiday traffic the “life expectancy” for the required financial outlay compared very unfavourably with a new motorway route, which would provide a high level of service well into the future. Routes lying between Kaiapoi and the Coast were not recommended on two main counts. Such routes would have served beach and long-

distant traffic, but not Rangiora and ther inland traffic. Analysis showed strong tendency for Sunday traffic to move inland. On weekdays the clear demand was for an inland route, as was indicated by the northern distribution of Christ-

church traffic crossing ■ the Waimakariri Bridge.

A further consideration was the problem of crossing of the Waimakariri River near its mouth.

Of the two possible inland routes the one nearer Kaiapoi was favoured on the grounds that it would better serve Kaiapoi itself and would be equally satisfactory for other areas. In March, 1958, the National Roads Board approved this route in principle and subsequently the general proposals were placed before the public and local bodies, while more detailed investigations were carried out into property serverance, sub-soil conditions and a suitable point for a river crossing.

There were objections in principle and also to the proposed location, but eventually these were overcome and a middle-line was proclaimed in September, 1962.

Such a proclamation permits entry on land and provides for compulsory aquisition of land. However, in all cases entry was made by arrangement with the owners and acquisition has been by agreement throughout.

In some cases whole farms have been purchased at the owner’s request and in others, farmers have been re-instated on land so acquired. Odd parcels of surplus land have been sold to adjoining farmers or leased on a temporary basis until final requirements are known.