Motorway, expressway, then northern arterial

Press, 1 June 1985, Page 9

Motorway, expressway, then northern arterial

By

STAN DARLING

For years it was called a motorway, then it officially became an expressway, and still later it was mainly called the northern arterial. No matter what the name, the planned St Albans route north to the Christchurch City boundary and beyond into the countryside has been debated since the mid-19605. For just as long, not much has changed about the corridor except its narrowing in the early 1980 s. Now it looks as if the Christchurch City Council is ready to quell any chance of future opposition by dropping its appeal to the Planning Tribunal against the designation. The appeal had been lodged by a Labour Partydominated council. Citizens Association councillors, now in the majority, have always supported the St Albans plan. The total transportation corridor extends south through the central city along Madras Street and Barbadoes Street, then further south across the railway lines to the Brougham Street expressway. .At today’s costs, $36 million might be needed to build and widen roads from Chaneys to Brougham Street.

Some St Albans residents say they have yet to be convinced that the Government will be able to pay for the project, at least not for many years. Citizens councillors say it is time for the Ministry of Works to get on with the job in stages. The anti-motorway fight may have been a losing cause from the start because the City Council, no matter what its leanings, never had the right to make a decision on its own. Part of the regional master transportation plan, the corridor was an essential link in a network that involved the city’s neighbours. They were never against the plan, and matched the city protest for protest. Attempts by some city councillors to change their minds over the years never worked. The future expressway’s St Albans section will be a no-access arterial route from Purchas Street north to Winters Road. It will be built to urban standards as far as Innes Road, then to rural standards on its way north. Intersections along the route will be at the same level as intersecting streets in the meantime, blit the option will remain open for the expressway to either cross over or go under those streets.

The expressway will have two lanes at the start, but there will be enough land protected to allow the addition of two more lanes in the future. Aspects of staged construction, links to the existing street network, landscaping and land purchase have yet to be resolved. The appearance of the St Albans expressway will be similar to the Brougham Street expressway extension into Opawa. Some landmarks along the way during the St Albans debate were: Early 1969 — The Christchurch Motorway Protest Association asks for a scheme change to delete the St Albans route. July, 1969 — The Ministry of Works had already bought 59 properties along the route. November, 1969 — Mr Malcolm Douglass, then the Canterbury Regional Planning Authority’s traffic engineer, defended the motorway plans. Mr Douglass is now the United Council’s chief executive. July, 1975 — The Regional Planning Authority’s master transportation plan review says that the northern motorway should be provided in the 1981-1990 period. May, 1976 — A planning

report says that the term “motorway corridor” should be replaced by the term “transportation corridor." August, 1977 — A St Albans anti-motorway petition is received by Parliament’s Petitions Committee. September, 1977 — A Ministry of Works official says that construction of the northern expressway could follow on from completion of Southern Motorway works. October, 1977 — The St Albans expressway becomes a City Council campaign issue. The Labour Party gains a majority of seats on the council. March, 1978 - The Labour-dominated City Council asks the Regional Planning Authority to oppose the motorway corridor. August, 1978 — The City Council asks the Ministry of Works to reconsider motorway funding because of reduced vehicle use. June, 1978 — Several City Council motorway project deletions do not include the northern arterial. November, 1978 — The Automobile Association (Canterbury) affirms support for the northern arterial project. December, 1978 — The Regional Planning Authority unanimously supports a

four-lane motorway through St Albans, with appropriate landscaping and noise barriers. December, 1978 — The St Albans ahti-motorway committee vows to keep up the pressure. May, 1979 — Design work on the future expressway shows that some corridor Eroperty designations can e lifted. June, 1980 - The Government says that property valued at $2 million north of Bealey Avenue is no longer needed because of scaleddown expressway plans. November, 1980 — The arterial is affirmed in the regional traffic network plan. July, 1981 - The St Albans anti-motorway committee urges a change in light of reduced population projections. December, 1981 — The Labour City Council urges the Government to lift the expressway designation between Beealey Avenue and the city boundary. February, 1982 — The United Council decides to fight the City Council antimotorway decision on appeal. February, 1982 — The Waimairi District Council objects to the city’s decision to scrap the motorway designation.