McCormacks Bay filling may be required

Press, 4 July 1985, Page 9

McCormacks Bay filling may be required

A small part of McCormacks Bay will be filled for roadway if the Christchurch City Council heeds its works and traffic committee’s recommendation. The committee yesterday approved the taking of a part of the bay to improve the intersection of McCormacks Bay Road with the Causeway. At present, lack of visibility because of the cliff and traffic speed make the junction difficult. An intended residential development on Balmoral Hill and planned bus runs on McCormacks Bay Road were also reasons for improving the intersection, councillors were told. the sum of $30,000 has been allocated in the council budget for the improvement of the corner.

The proposed improvement would require the approval of the Ministry of Transport’s Marine Division for filling the corner of the bay and a District Scheme change for reserve land to be used. The Christchurch Drainage Board and the Combined Estuary Association were in favour of the proposal, councillors were told. Kellys Road Kellys Road in Mairehau will be closed from Innes to Hills Road for a year to allow traffic studies to be done on traffic flows along Mahars Road and other nearby streets. It has been the council’s intention in its District Scheme to close the road at its eastern end. The road would become a 600 m cul-

de-sac. Other options considered were junctions with Innes Road and Hills Road. Eight objections were lodged when the council notified its intention to stop the street. Sixty-one residents made submissions in favour. The concern of objectors was the increased traffic flow along Mahars Road. The 12-month stopping, proposed by the Christchurch City Council hearings panel, will assess the exact effect. After a year, the council will decide whether to close the road permanently. The Christchurch Transport Board will be asked to consider an alteration to the Shirley bus route to halve the number of buses on Kellys Road and Mahars Road.