Road width improvements will also be made along Dyers Pass Rd to improve the safety for cyclists.
The work will cost about $7.25 million but the NZ Transport Agency is going to meet three-quarters of the cost as it has decided to include the project in its Safer Networks Programme.
Christchurch City Council transport planning and delivery manager Lynette Ellis said the council has increased the scope of the safety works planned along Dyers Pass Rd.
It was expected originally that the safety improvements would attract a 51 per cent subsidy from NZTA.
“Now that we know the project qualifies for a 75.5 per cent subsidy, we have decided to significantly increase the scope of the safety improvement works so that we get maximum value for ratepayers,’’ Ms Ellis said.
“We have increased the budget for the work from about $2 million to $7.2 million so that we can put guardrails in at more locations, but the actual overall cost to the council will only be about $1.77 million.
The council has also decided to increase the scope of the planned safety improvements along Evans Pass Rd and Reserve Tce because that project may also be included in NZTA’s Safer Networks Programme.
About $13.3 million is now planned to be spent on improving the safety for road users on Evans Pass Rd and Reserve Tce. Provided the work qualifies for a 75.5 per cent subsidy from NZTA, the cost to the council will be $3.25 million.
“Both the works on Dyers Pass Rd and Evans Pass Rd offer the opportunity to make significant safety improvements for all road users with only minimal impacts on rates,’’ Ms Ellis said.
