We've installed peak hour bus lanes along Lincoln Road to make bus journey times shorter and more reliable. We're also planning to install more peak hour bus lanes between Whiteleigh Avenue and Curletts Road.

The Lincoln Road bus lanes are part of a wider project to improve transport around the southwest of Christchurch.  

The southwest of Christchurch is growing fast, with 35,000 people expected to move into the area over the next 30 years. This growth puts pressure on our travel network, so we need to prepare and plan for a better way for people to travel to and from the central city. 

We know there's traffic congestion along Lincoln Road at peak times, causing delays for all motorists. Buses help to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions by carrying more people per trip. This is better for the environment and helps everyone get to where they want to go on time. 

Check out the time lapse footage of the incredible amount of work that was able to be completed while the busy intersection of Lincoln Road, Barrington Street and Whiteleigh Avenue was closed for safety improvements.

Stage two works

We're planning to install peak-hour bus lanes between Whiteleigh Avenue and Curletts Road.

This is the second stage of our project and will connect to peak-hour bus lanes currently under construction in Addington as part of stage one.

With stage two of the project, we’ll be installing peak hour bus lanes, between Whiteleigh Avenue and Curletts Road, on:

  • Weekdays – 7am to 9am towards the city.
  • Weekdays – 3pm to 6pm towards Halswell.

We’re working closely with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, which is also planning to install bus lanes along Halswell Road, between Dunbars and Curletts roads.(external link)

As part of our bus lane work, we’ll be making other changes to improve safety for everyone. This includes things like installing more pedestrian crossing points and u-turn bays, widening footpaths, changing parking and relocating bus stops.

Learn about the other changes we are proposing. (external link)

Lincoln Road peak hour bus lanes

We’ve installed peak-hour bus lanes along Lincoln Road. The peak hour bus lanes will operate weekdays between 7am and 9am, towards the city and between 3pm and 6pm towards Halswell. 

A bus lane has been installed on the south side of Moorhouse Avenue, between Selwyn Street and Lincoln Road. This bus lane will only operate between 3pm and 6pm.

As part of this work, we have installed a new water main and installed a number of other changes to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.

This includes a major safety upgrade of the Lincoln/Barrington/Whiteleigh intersection that was completed in early October 2022. 

Intersection safety improvements

Work to install a new raised safety platform and resurfacing of the intersection approaches at the Lincoln Road, Barrington Street and Whiteleigh Avenue intersection has been completed.

An incredible amount of work was completed over the weekend closure of the busy Lincoln/Barrington/Whiteleigh intersection. 

More than 100 people from Isaac Construction and Council worked 24/7 over the weekend to get the job done. Here’s what the team did:

  • Installed new median islands, a new traffic signal control box, traffic signals and traffic detection loops.
  • Removed the old road surface back to the base layer.
  • Laid a new asphalt surface in several layers on all intersection approaches.
  • Installed a new raised safety platform.
  • Minor drainage repairs and modifications.
  • Completed final line marking.
  • Tested the new traffic signals.

We made the decision to close the intersection for three days and work 24/7 to get the work done so we could get out of everyone’s way sooner. The work would have taken almost a month otherwise.

After final line marking, the intersection was re-opened on Monday 10 October 2022 at 5am, ahead of peak-time traffic.

About the safe speed platform

We know that 55% of serious crashes happen at intersections. Slowing traffic down using features such as safe speed platforms reduces both the number and severity of crashes. It also means drivers can stop in time if they need to.

The bumps at the Lincoln/Barrington/Whiteleigh intersection are part of the permanent safe speed platform, which has been installed to reduce the speeds of vehicles entering the intersection. They are a treatment that is increasingly being used across New Zealand to improve safety through intersections and crossings by encouraging safer speeds at high-risk locations.

There have been 25 reported crashes at this intersection over a five-year period including three serious injury crashes. Council wants to reduce the number of serious crashes on our network so everyone can get where they are going safely - regardless of how they travel.

People will continue to make mistakes when travelling, so treatments such as the safe speed platform seek to reduce the severity of injury when crashes inevitably occur. Platforms can reduce death and serious injuries by up to 40%.

There are a lot of people travelling through this intersection on foot, by bicycle, scooters and on motorbikes.  Evidence shows that if these people are hit by a vehicle travelling at 50km/h there’s only a 20% chance they will survive.

At 30km/h, the survival rate increases significantly to 90%. The platform contributes to safer outcomes by reducing vehicle speeds to the more survivable speed of 30km/h.

This is the first time the Council has installed one at a major Christchurch intersection.