Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Patience, care and attention will be needed on the roads in and around Canterbury over the next week as a busy schedule of events leads into a long weekend with many holidaymakers travelling.
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is encouraging those travelling out of the region for the Canterbury Anniversary weekend to plan ahead, build extra time into their journeys and expect delays at times.
“We all know the highways leading in and out of Canterbury are going to be busier as people head away for the long weekend, and as many return home on Sunday or around that time,” says NZTA system manager for the central South Island, Mark Pinner.
“But people should also be aware that they may encounter roadworks on the highways that are part of the busy spring/summer roading maintenance programmes, with some of these worksites remaining in place over the long weekend. The work is essential to keep the highways in good condition for all road users, but it may mean having to stop on demand or slowing for temporary speed limit reductions at work sites.”
“We want holidaymakers to get where they are going safely, so we ask motorists to show patience and drive carefully around any roadworks. Road users can find out what to expect on the state highways at our Journey Planner site, or at the latest of our planned roadworks newsletters:
This week in Christchurch, NZ Cup Week 2025 and the Royal A&P Show of New Zealand are expected to attract thousands of visitors, and this extra activity means more people on the roads.
“In addition to more traffic on local city streets, we are likely to see higher volumes of traffic on State Highways 73, 75 and 76 that run past hubs of activity such as the Addington Raceway & Events Centre, and the Canterbury Park A&P Showgrounds,” Mr Pinner says.
“Again, it is easy to get frustrated with more traffic on the roads and longer wait times but planning ahead and avoiding known hot spots where possible will go a long way to making life easier on the roads.”
On Sunday night (16 November), work will begin on installing the top and final layer of asphalt on sections of SH75/Halswell Road and Aidanfield Drive. This will mean closures of SH75/Halswell Road (between Dunbars Road and Augustine Drive/Monsaraz Boulevard), and Aidanfield Drive (between Halswell Road and Bibiana Street/Euphrasie Drive).
Starting Sunday night, the road closures will run from 6pm to 7am for the northbound lane, and from 7pm to 7am for the southbound lane, of the affected section of SH75/Halswell Road. The affected section of Aidanfield Drive will also close. The closures are expected to continue nightly for about a week.
Beyond this, more activity and events leading into the Christmas/New Year period will also mean more to deal with on the roads. On Sunday 23 November, the VIP Frames & Trusses Christmas Show Parade is due to be held at the Canterbury Park A&P Showgrounds.
“State Highway 75 will again be busy around this event, and in addition there will be convoys of Christmas floats moving between the Queen Elizabeth II Park and the Agricultural Park, on State Highways 74 Anzac Drive/Dyers Rd, SH74A Palinurus Road/Rutherford Street/Garlands Rd, and SH76 Brougham St in the morning and evening,” Mr Pinner says.
