The CNC Alliance (Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Christchurch City Council, Fulton Hogan, Jacobs and Aurecon) worked overtime over the last couple of months to get everything ready. In the weeks leading up to opening day on 17 December, around 150 people were working on the ground putting the finishing touches on landscaping, pavements, street lighting, barriers and road signs.

Construction started in November 2016 and, in total, crews brought in 1.3 million cubic metres of rock and dirt from quarries to pack the 62km of road lanes down. Twelve bridges were constructed or added to (Waimakariri River Bridge gained two additional lanes and a cycling/pedestrian lane) and 14 new gantries installed for the electronic traffic signs. Over 660,000 native plants and 1,500 specimen trees have been planted.

One of the new lanes over the Waimakariri Bridge will operate as a carpool/T2 lane. The carpool lane is part of a wider transport improvement package to revamp travel choices, while reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, which includes express buses, park-and-ride facilities and a new cycleway across the Waimakariri River connecting to the new CNC shared path along the length of the new motorway with connections to the central city and North Canterbury.

More information on the new motorway and transport modes: www.nzta.govt.nz/letsride