Funding request to improve Riccarton streets

Twenty-six streets in Riccarton could become a priority for roading improvements. 
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Twenty-six streets in Riccarton could become a priority for roading improvements. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
Twenty-six streets in Riccarton could be prioritised to be fixed.

This comes after city councillors endorsed an investment case which will ask for $40 million from the Government’s Christchurch regeneration acceleration fund for roading and transport improvements.

The case proposes using $25 million to $30 million on improvements to five suburban areas, including Riccarton, which will focus on enhancing “accessibility, safety and asset condition.”

It sets aside $6,990,000 for 26 Riccarton streets.

Improvements to Linwood and Woolston are estimated to cost $5,103,500, $6,677,500 for New Brighton, $5,879,500 for Richmond and $5,118,000 for the wider Spreydon/Somerfield/Waltham/Beckenham area.

A further $5 million to $7 million is proposed to accelerate targeted safety improvements to reduce death and serious injury crashes.

Another $5 million to $8 million is proposed for improving bus priority measures on key public transport routes across the city.

The investment case said without a cash injection traffic congestion would increase and “undermine the city’s regeneration.”

The report also stated about 300km of the 3000km of roading owned by the city council was severely damaged or needed to be dug up for repairs to other infrastructure after the earthquakes.

But while the city council and Government spent $2.2 billion on a five-and-a-half-year programme to fix horizontal infrastructure, the report states many assets need to be repaired over the next 30 years to bring them back up to pre-quake levels.

The Christchurch regeneration acceleration fund was first announced by Labour in 2017 as part of its pre-election plan for Canterbury to accelerate recovery from the earthquakes.

The $300 million fund was intended to repair horizontal infrastructure and advance key regeneration projects, such as the multi-use arena.

BY THE NUMBERS

Street cost

Straven Rd – $170,000, Acacia Ave – $5,000, Auburn Ave – $105,000, Bradshaw Tce – $20,000, Field Tce – $55,000, Hampton Pl – $45,000, Hanrahan St – $80,000, Heathfield Ave – $15,000, Lester Lane – $40,000, Makora St – $45,000, Mayfair St – $5000, Renfrew St – $40,000, Ryeland Ave – $40,000, Tiora Pl – $25,000, Wood Lane – $15,000, Puriri St – $50,000, Athol Tce – $20,000, Burdale St – $20,000, Kyle St – $10,000, Seton St – $10,000, Titoki St – $25,000, Wharenui Rd – $200,000, Middleton Rd – $3,950,000,  Waimairi Rd – $2,000,000.