The Lyttelton Tunnel entrance after it first opened and the tunnel as it looks now. Photos: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said the tunnel was built for £2.7 million in 1964 and held the record for the longest road tunnel in the country until the opening of Waterview Tunnel in Auckland in 2017.
The tunnel opening meant the Port Hills were no longer a barrier to road transport.
"Christchurch and Lyttelton were originally connected by a zigzag path, then a tortuous hilly road, a railway tunnel, and finally a road tunnel—114 years after the first organised settlement," Waka Kotahi said.
"In 1965, around 2800 vehicles travelled through the tunnel each day.
"These days, over 11,000 vehicles travel through the tunnel daily, including around 1200 heavy commercial vehicles—underlining the tunnel’s importance as a key freight route."
