Christchurch-Lyttelton Motorway
Encyclopedia
The Christchurch–Lyttelton Motorway, also known as the Tunnel Road is part of the road network connecting Christchurch
, New Zealand
with its port town of Lyttelton
.
The 6.1 km road was completed in 1964 with the opening of the Lyttelton road tunnel
, the country's longest road tunnel. It is designated a motorway, with pedestrians and cyclists excluded, although for the most part the road is 2-3 lane undivided carriageway.
Initially the road plus a short extension through Lyttelton to the wharves constituted the entirety of State Highway 74. However to facilitate national funding of major Christchurch roading developments the highway designation was extended and now runs around the northern half of the Christchurch ring route plus part of the old route of State Highway 1 to terminate at Belfast
, a total of 26 km
with Port Hills Road which connects via the Opawa Expressway to the north and west.
South of the interchange the motorway climbs the western side of the Heathcote Valley, with a crawler lane and passing though some cuttings. The access road to Horotane valley, a side valley of the Heathcote, passes beneath the motorway, connecting to Port Hills Road which continues in parallel to the motorway.
At the head of the Heathcote Valley is the north entrance to the Lyttelton road tunnel, with a southbound on-ramp and northbound off-ramp to Bridle Path road. The tunnel's toll plaza was located here prior to the abolition of tolls in 1979. The speed limit is restricted to 50 km/h in the Lyttelton Road Tunnel. The motorway terminates at a roundabout immediately at the Lyttelton end of the tunnel.
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with its port town of Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
.
The 6.1 km road was completed in 1964 with the opening of the Lyttelton road tunnel
Lyttelton Road Tunnel
The Lyttelton road tunnel links the New Zealand city of Christchurch and its seaport, Lyttelton. It opened in 1964 and carries just over 10,000 vehicles/day...
, the country's longest road tunnel. It is designated a motorway, with pedestrians and cyclists excluded, although for the most part the road is 2-3 lane undivided carriageway.
Initially the road plus a short extension through Lyttelton to the wharves constituted the entirety of State Highway 74. However to facilitate national funding of major Christchurch roading developments the highway designation was extended and now runs around the northern half of the Christchurch ring route plus part of the old route of State Highway 1 to terminate at Belfast
Belfast, New Zealand
Belfast is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is in the north of the city, close to the banks of the Waimakariri River.-History:Belfast is named after Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was originally known as North Road District, Seven Mile Peg, Styx, or by its Māori name Purarekanui...
, a total of 26 km
Route and Interchanges
The northern terminus is a roundabout on Ferry Road, a few hundred metres southeast of an intersection with the Christchurch ring route. The motorway immediately crosses the Heathcote river and is carried on an embankment south across its swampy floodplain. The northern section is two lane, unlit and is relatively lightly trafficked, with the majority of traffic entering at a grade-separated parclo interchangeParclo interchange
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The parclo interchange was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a replacement for the cloverleaf on 400-Series Highways, removing the dangerous weaving patterns and allowing for more...
with Port Hills Road which connects via the Opawa Expressway to the north and west.
South of the interchange the motorway climbs the western side of the Heathcote Valley, with a crawler lane and passing though some cuttings. The access road to Horotane valley, a side valley of the Heathcote, passes beneath the motorway, connecting to Port Hills Road which continues in parallel to the motorway.
At the head of the Heathcote Valley is the north entrance to the Lyttelton road tunnel, with a southbound on-ramp and northbound off-ramp to Bridle Path road. The tunnel's toll plaza was located here prior to the abolition of tolls in 1979. The speed limit is restricted to 50 km/h in the Lyttelton Road Tunnel. The motorway terminates at a roundabout immediately at the Lyttelton end of the tunnel.
Tunnel Road  |
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| Northbound exits | Distance to Christchurch CBD (km) |
Distance to Lyttelton (km) |
Southbound exits |
| End Tunnel Road continues as Dyers Road to Burwood Burwood, New Zealand Burwood is a north-eastern suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. The suburb is mostly a residential area and is centred around Burwood Hospital, Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park and Bottle Lake Forest... , Belfast Belfast, New Zealand Belfast is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is in the north of the city, close to the banks of the Waimakariri River.-History:Belfast is named after Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was originally known as North Road District, Seven Mile Peg, Styx, or by its Māori name Purarekanui... |
5.5 | 6.5 | Start Tunnel Road from Dyers Road |
| Christchurch CBD Christchurch Central City Christchurch Central City is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the four avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green... , Woolston Woolston, New Zealand Woolston is a light industrial and residential suburb of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated three kilometres southeast of the city centre, close to major arterial routes including State Highways 73 and 74 to Banks Peninsula... , Sumner Sumner, New Zealand Sumner is a coastal seaside suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand and was surveyed and named in 1849 in honour of John Bird Sumner, the then newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and president of the Canterbury Association... Ferry Road .svg.png) |
Sumner Sumner, New Zealand Sumner is a coastal seaside suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand and was surveyed and named in 1849 in honour of John Bird Sumner, the then newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and president of the Canterbury Association... , Woolston Woolston, New Zealand Woolston is a light industrial and residential suburb of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated three kilometres southeast of the city centre, close to major arterial routes including State Highways 73 and 74 to Banks Peninsula... , Christchurch CBD Christchurch Central City Christchurch Central City is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the four avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green... Ferry Road |
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| HEATHCOTE RIVER BRIDGE Heathcote River The Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand, and is fed from springs near Templetons Road and also receives wet weather flows from as far west as Pound Road. It meanders around the base of the Port Hills from west to south-east.-Course:The catchment of the... |
5.5 | 6.5 | HEATHCOTE RIVER BRIDGE Heathcote River The Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand, and is fed from springs near Templetons Road and also receives wet weather flows from as far west as Pound Road. It meanders around the base of the Port Hills from west to south-east.-Course:The catchment of the... |
| RAIL LINE Main South Line The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin... |
7 | 5 | RAIL LINE Main South Line The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin... |
| Opawa Opawa Opawa is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located 2.5 kilometres south-east of the city centre.The name is a contraction of Opaawaho, which means a place of an outer pā or outpost in Māori. Opaawaho or Ōpāwaho is the Māori name for the Heathcote River.... , Hornby Hornby, New Zealand Hornby is a major residential and retail suburb at the western edge of Christchurch, New Zealand.-Naming and history:Hornby was apparently named by Frederick William Delamain, who came to Christchurch from England in 1852. The name reportedly refers to Hornby-with-Farleton in Lancashire... , Greymouth Greymouth Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants... , Heathcote Port Hills Road New Zealand State Highway 73 State Highway 73 is a major east-west South Island State Highway in New Zealand connecting Christchurch on the east coast with Greymouth/Hokitika on the west coast via the Southern Alps...  Scruttons Road |
7.5 | 4.5 | Heathcote, Opawa Opawa Opawa is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located 2.5 kilometres south-east of the city centre.The name is a contraction of Opaawaho, which means a place of an outer pā or outpost in Māori. Opaawaho or Ōpāwaho is the Māori name for the Heathcote River.... , Hornby Hornby, New Zealand Hornby is a major residential and retail suburb at the western edge of Christchurch, New Zealand.-Naming and history:Hornby was apparently named by Frederick William Delamain, who came to Christchurch from England in 1852. The name reportedly refers to Hornby-with-Farleton in Lancashire... , Greymouth Greymouth Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants... Scruttons Road Port Hills Road New Zealand State Highway 73 State Highway 73 is a major east-west South Island State Highway in New Zealand connecting Christchurch on the east coast with Greymouth/Hokitika on the west coast via the Southern Alps... |
| Heathcote, Ferrymead Ferrymead -Geography:Ferrymead is located on the Avon Heathcote Estuary, close to the point where the Heathcote River drains into the estuary, and three km west of the eventual outflow into Pegasus Bay. To the north lie the oxidation ponds from Christchurch's main sewage treatment works, which are within a... Bridle Path Road |
9 | 3 | no exit |
| LYTTELTON ROAD TUNNEL Lyttelton Road Tunnel The Lyttelton road tunnel links the New Zealand city of Christchurch and its seaport, Lyttelton. It opened in 1964 and carries just over 10,000 vehicles/day... |
9-11 | 1-3 | LYTTELTON ROAD TUNNEL Lyttelton Road Tunnel The Lyttelton road tunnel links the New Zealand city of Christchurch and its seaport, Lyttelton. It opened in 1964 and carries just over 10,000 vehicles/day... |
| Governors Bay Governors Bay Governors Bay is a small settlement in Canterbury, New Zealand.-Geography and transport:It is located on Banks Peninsula at the foot and on the south side of the Port Hills near the head of Lyttelton Harbour... , Lyttelton Lyttelton, New Zealand Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand.... Simeon Quay Norwich Quay |
11 | 1 | Lyttelton Lyttelton, New Zealand Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand.... , Governors Bay Governors Bay Governors Bay is a small settlement in Canterbury, New Zealand.-Geography and transport:It is located on Banks Peninsula at the foot and on the south side of the Port Hills near the head of Lyttelton Harbour... Norwich Quay Simeon Quay |
| CONTINUES AS Norwich Quay to Lyttelton Lyttelton, New Zealand Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand.... |
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