We're making safety improvements at two busy intersections on Shirley Road.

Safety improvements to the intersection of Shirley Road, Marshland Road, New Brighton Road and North Parade are being constructed over a six-week programme of night works, 6pm to 6am Sunday to Thursday, from 9 June until 22 July 2024. 

Work is almost complete at the intersection of Shirley Road, Hills Road and Warrington Street, with dry weather required for the final details.

To encourage safer speeds through the intersections, we've installed a safe-speed platform across the Shirley Road and Hills Road intersection, and at the Shirley Road and Marshland Road intersection, we'll be installing safe-speed platforms on all the approaches. Safer speeds give everyone more time to react and avoid crashing – and there's also a better chance of surviving a crash.

This area has been prioritised for safety improvements because it is well-used by people busing, cycling, driving and walking, including tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people) travelling to schools and early childhood centres. We want everyone to get where they are going safely, regardless of how they travel.

Artist's impression of safe speed platform at Shirley / Hills / Warrington

An artist's impression of intersection safety improvements at Shirley Road, Hills Road and Warrington Street. The perspective is from the northeast corner, at the slip lane from Hills Road to Shirley Road (out of view). 

Shirley Road, Hills Road and Warrington Street intersection

We're almost finished our work at this intersection, which has included the construction of a safe speed platform. We've also improved the slip lanes with a raised pedestrian crossing on the Shirley Road to Hills Road slip lane and traffic calming measures on the Hills Road to Shirley Road slip lane.

Additionally, a new green turning arrow makes it safer and easier for vehicles travelling from Hills Road onto Warrington Street.

The remaining works to be completed at the intersection include tactile pavers and road marking. Dry weather is needed for this work.

Safety improvements and decision-making
Work area for Shirley / Hills / Warrington intersection safety improvements

Work area for Shirley / Hills / Warrington intersection safety improvements

The safety improvements we've made at this intersection include:

  • A raised safe-speed platform across the intersection to encourage safer speeds.
  • Improved safety on slip lane/left turn from Hills Road through to Shirley Road with narrowed exit, speed cushion and speed hump.
  • Improved safety on slip lane/left turn from Shirley Road to Hills Road with raised pedestrian crossing.
  • Signal phasing changes, including a new green arrow for southbound right-turning vehicles travelling on Hills Road onto Warrington Street.
  • Improved pedestrian crossing points, with new tactile pavers.

To minimise the need to come back again in the future, we also installed new, additional stormwater infrastructure while we were working in this area.

This project was approved by the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board on 15 February 2024.

We received submissions from five recognised organisations, one local business, and 173 individuals. You can read their feedback(external link) and find out how this influenced the community boards' decision(external link).

Shirley Road, Marshland Road, New Brighton Road and North Parade intersection

We're installing a range of safety improvements at the intersection of Shirley Road, Marshland Road, New Brighton and North Parade. This will include raised safe-speed platforms on all approaches to the intersection, an extended traffic island on New Brighton Road, the removal of the slip lane from Shirley Road onto Marshland Road, and improved pedestrian crossing points, with new tactile pavers.

These works will be carried out between 6pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday nights, from Sunday 9 June to Monday 22 July. A temporary stop/go traffic management system will be in place.

For the majority of the project, traffic will only be able to approach the intersection from the north via Marshland Road and the east via New Brighton Road, with access through the intersection in all directions. However, at times, the North Parade exit may also be closed.

Please plan your travel and allow extra time for your journey. Follow the signage and, where possible, avoid the area during evening and night-time hours between Sunday to Thursday. 

Safety improvements and decision-making

We'll be undertaking night works at the intersection of Shirley Road, Marshland Road, New Brighton Road, and North Parade between Sunday 9 June and Monday 22 July 2024.

The safety improvements being constructed/implemented include:

Intersection of Shirley Road, Marshland Road, New Brighton Road, and North Parade

Work area for Shirley Road / Marshland Road / New Brighton Road / North Parade safety improvements

  • Raised safe-speed platforms on all approaches to the intersection to encourage safer speeds.
  • Extension of the traffic island on New Brighton Road – this reduces road safety risks by preventing right turns into The Palms entry, east of the intersection.
  • Removal of the slip lane from Shirley Road onto Marshland Road – this makes it safer and easier for pedestrians to access the intersection crossing point on the northwest corner. Left-turning vehicles will be able to use a new left-turn lane.
  • Improved pedestrian crossing points with tactile pavers.
  • Road line marking.

To reduce the possibility of future disruption, we will also upgrade the traffic light signal hardware while we are working on the road, to allow for additional changes to signal phasing, if required.

The plan was approved by the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board and Waitai Coastal-Burwood-Linwood Community Board on 15 February 2024.

We received submissions from five recognised organisations, one local business, and 173 individuals. You can read their feedback(external link)(external link) and find out how this influenced the community boards' decision(external link)(external link).

The community boards also made a recommendation to the Council for a shared path on the north side of Shirley Road and to revoke the short section of the bus lane on the Shirley Road approach to the traffic lights.

The Council did not approve the shared path nor the removal of the bus lane. The shared path has been removed from the plans and the short section of the bus lane has been retained. The updated plans were sent to the community boards on 13 April 2024.

Construction timeline and traffic impacts

We're completing this project across a six-week programme of night work from 6pm to 6am (Sunday to Thursday) to reduce the disruption to the area. A temporary stop/go system will be set up at the intersection to manage traffic and the speed limit will be 30km/h to keep our workers safe. 

  • For the majority of the project, the stop/go will be two-way only, allowing traffic to approach from the north via Marshland Road and from the east via New Brighton Road. Traffic travelling through the intersection can travel in any direction, as Shirley Road and North Parade will be open one-way, however, at times, North Parade may be fully closed, with no entry from the intersection.
  • Towards the end of the project, we will be able to open Shirley Road and North Parade and create a four-way stop/go system.

While the road closures are in place, the road closure points will be as follows:

  • Shirley Road will be closed to eastbound traffic where the road intersects Hope Street and up to the intersection with Marshland Road and North Parade.
  • North Parade will be closed to northbound traffic from where the road intersects Banks Avenue and up to the intersection with Shirley Road and New Brighton Road.

Sign-posted detour routes will be in place. Please plan your travel and allow extra time for your journey. Follow the signage and, where possible, avoid the area during evening and night-time hours. 

We know this work can be disruptive, and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

To find more information about the traffic impacts and to see a map of the road closures and roads used for detours, please view the works notice(external link).

Map of closures and roads used for detours
Shirley Marshland intersection

Work at the intersection runs Sunday night to Thursday night.

Way safer for everyone

In Christchurch, more than half of serious crashes happen at intersections, so safer infrastructure such as safe-speed platforms are being prioritised at intersections with higher crash rates and higher volumes of vulnerable road users.

Shirley Road, Marshland Road, New Brighton Road and North Parade intersection

Shirley Road, Marshland Road, New Brighton Road and North Parade intersection

You're more likely to have a crash at an intersection than any other part of the road, regardless of whether you're driving, walking, or cycling. See the communities at risk register [PDF, 470KB](external link) for more details. This means we need to slow traffic down at intersections, as lower speeds improve survival rates, reduce serious harm to everyone, and make people feel safer as they travel.

The Shirley Road intersections included in this project are frequently used by vulnerable road users – including children, the elderly, and those with visual or mobility challenges – making safety an even higher priority. Whether you’re driving to work or home again, visiting whānau and friends, or letting tamariki walk, scoot or bike to school, shops or parks, you should be able to do it safely.

In the past five years, there have been 21 crashes at the Shirley Road, Hills Road and Warrington Street intersection. Of these, seven resulted in injury and some involved vulnerable road users. A large number of pedestrians use this area to get to nearby local shops, Shirley Primary School, Shirley Reserve and Pump Track, and preschools.

The Shirley Road, Marshland Road, New Brighton and North Parade intersection has had 11 crashes in the same five-year period. Five of these caused injuries, two involving vulnerable users. Many pedestrians use this area to reach The Palms Shopping Centre and Shirley Intermediate School.

Both intersections rank in the top 1% for crash risk among Christchurch District intersections, out of over 5700 intersections citywide under Council control.

No one expects a crash, but people make mistakes, including those who are careful and responsible drivers, and these mistakes shouldn't cost anyone their lives.

Safer speeds are being achieved at the Lincoln Road/Barrington Street/Whiteleigh Avenue(external link) intersection in Christchurch where we've installed a platform similar to what is being constructed at the Shirley Road, Hills Road and Warrington Street intersection. Since the implementation of the platform, there have been no reported crashes in the crash analysis system.