We’re building new separated cycleways in both directions on Antigua Street between Moorhouse Avenue and St Asaph Street to improve cycle connections and safety in the central city.

The project also includes a watermain renewal to replace pipes which have reached the end of their serviceable life. The new pipes will be upgraded in size to help meet increasing demands generated by our growing city. Additionally, the road and western footpath will be renewed as part of the project.

Work began in May 2025, and is expected to be completed in October, ahead of the opening of the new Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre(external link).

The design of the street upgrade focuses on safety and accessibility for all users along Antigua Street, including cyclists, pedestrians, local businesses and the Parakiore facility.

We will also be enhancing the area with new street trees and landscaping.

The key features of the design include:

  • A 2.4m wide northbound separated cycleway on the west side of the road (beside the northbound lane which runs alongside Parakiore). To retain the maximum road space, we’ve utilised some Parakiore land for this cycle lane.  
  • A 2.3m wide southbound separated cycleway on the east side of Antigua Street. This transitions to a 2.2m wide cycle lane south of Moorhouse Avenue.
  • A pedestrian and cycle crossing point in the middle of the block, near the entrance to Parakiore and just south of Halkett Street.
  • Two raised speed thresholds (outside 184 Antigua Street and 230b Antigua Street) to encourage motorists to travel at a safe speed. The road has been operating at 30km/h since the construction of Parakiore started, and will remain at 30km/h during construction. Following the works, the speed will become 50km/h again; however, it is anticipated that, given the design of the road, the actual operating speed will be closer to 30km/h.
  • On-street parking on the west side of Antigua Street only. All parking on the east side will be removed to allow enough space for the new separated cycleway and to provide clearer sightlines from driveways, making a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians.
  • Renewed and widened footpath on the west side of Antigua Street to accommodate the expected increased pedestrian use, driven by Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre. The footpath will run adjacent to the northbound cycle lane.
  • New landscaping along Antigua Street which includes new rain gardens and street trees.
  • Installation of two P10 parking spaces on Halkett Street outside Antigua Food Bar to assist with customers who require short-term convenience parking when visiting businesses along Antigua Street. 

Project progress as of September 2025 includes:

  • The watermain renewal between Moorhouse Avenue and St Asaph Street is now complete, as well as the stormwater upgrades and new kerb and channel site wide.
  • The separated cycleways, in both directions, have been constructed and surfaced in asphalt, and the western footpath by Parakiore is currently being constructed and prepared ready for surfacing. On the western corner of Moorhouse Ave and Antigua Street, the new footpath has been constructed and is open for use. 
  • The rain gardens have been constructed on both sides of the street, with the western side fully planted and the landscaping team now moving to the eastern side of the road.

The final major works will be the carriageway resurfacing, which is due to take place at the end of September over two weeks of mostly night works. This work involves milling the existing surface off the road and replacing it with new asphalt, constructing speed humps, line marking, and then installing green surfacing where required. 

Find information on the current and upcoming traffic impacts in the drop-down tab below.

The following impacts apply when the night works are not in progress. See further down for more information about the impacts during night works from 28 September to 12 October.

  • A temporary northbound one-way traffic management system is in place on Antigua Street, between St Asaph Street and Moorhouse Avenue, to ensure the safety of both road users and our crews.
  • Southbound traffic will be detoured via Hagley Avenue to Selwyn Street to Moorhouse Avenue – please allow extra travel time and follow the detour signs (see map below).
  • Both northbound and southbound cyclists can now travel on the newly completed cycleways, which have opened for use. There may be times when sections of the southbound cycleway are temporarily closed whilst we work there, but local diversions will be in place.
  • No Parking restrictions will be in place where we are working. Thank you for your cooperation. We will aim to minimise these restrictions as much as possible.
  • Please allow extra travel time if you will be affected by the one-way system.

Detour map for when the northbound one-way system is in place

One way system map Antigua Street

Night works: 28 September to 12 October

Two weeks of night works, requiring a full road closure on Antigua Street between Moorhouse Avenue and St Asaph Street, are scheduled to start on Sunday 28 September. We will be completing road resurfacing, speed hump construction, and line marking. See below for the key details or view the works notice(external link).

  • Sunday 28 September: Work will begin with day and night works, starting from 7am and ending at 6am the next morning.
  • Monday 29 September to Sunday 12 October: There will be 7pm to 6am night works, Sunday to Thursday.
  • During the daytime, and on Friday and Saturday nights, Antigua Street will return to being one-way northbound for all traffic, including northbound cyclists (temporary traffic management).

Once the resurfacing works are completed, Antigua Street will remain one-way northbound until all remaining major works are completed. 

The contractor is aiming to return Antigua Street to two-way traffic in mid-October, which is approximately three weeks ahead of schedule, as work was initially scheduled to finish in November.

This project was consulted on between 15 February and 15 March 2022. The consultation included proposed improvements to the Antigua Street footbridge, which are also being constructed in 2025 as a separate project, between early June and early July.

The Antigua Street cycle connection received 117 submissions, and the Antigua Street footbridge received 95 submissions.

The majority of submitters commented on both projects, with a small number commenting on just one.

See the details of the consultation(external link).

Decision

A hearing was held on Monday 11 April 2022. You can read the meeting agenda and minutes(external link).

The Hearings Panel recommendation was approved by Council on 12 May 2022. Read the minutes(external link).

Why we’re building a cycleway

Antigua Street is a key cycle connection used by approximately 1000 to 1200 cyclists every day. This is because south of Moorhouse Avenue, Antigua Street is the final stretch for one of our busiest major cycle routes, Quarryman’s Trail, which leads from Halswell. 

North of Antigua Street, there is also the Uni-Cycle Major Cycle Route carrying people between Riccarton and the central city via Hagley Park, as well as the east and west central city cycleway networks on St Asaph Street (eastbound) and Tuam Street (westbound).

Antigua Street cycle connection map The section of Antigua Street we’re upgrading – between Moorhouse Avenue and St Asaph Street – sits between these key cycleway routes and directly alongside Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre, which is due to open late 2025.

Currently, a temporary cycleway is in place along this part of the road. A redesigned streetscape with permanently separated cycleways will make the road much safer for people who travel by bike, whether for work, school, shopping, or recreation.  

Map of the nearby cycleway connections. [JPG, 387 KB]

To explore all the cycle connections in the city, view the Christchurch Bike Map.(external link)