A vehicle crossing is the section of driveway from the front of the property boundary to the roadway. It is possible to widen or relocate your vehicle crossing.

good example of vehicle crossing - a residential drive wayAlthough the road reserve is owned by the Council, vehicle crossings are to be installed at the property owner’s expense. The physical work cannot be done by yourself.  The Yellow Pages list contractors who can install vehicle crossings under ‘roading contractors - driveways or roading’.

A new vehicle crossing must comply with the requirements of the relevant District Plan and the Christchurch City Council, Construction Standard Specifications (Section 6). Compliance depends on a number of factors such as setbacks from intersections and the type of road frontage. If there are obstructions to proposed vehicle crossing such as trees or stormwater pipes, let us know and we will advise you of your options.

Vehicle crossing information pack [PDF, 1.5 MB].

Work on a vehicle crossing can only start once approval is confirmed. Any work done without approval will be considered as damage.

Please note that information on this page is subject to change at short notice.

Minimum and maximum widths

Type Minimum width Maximum width
Residential vehicle crossings 3.5 metres 6 metres
Heavy duty/Commercial vehicle crossings 4 metres 9 metres

A Resource Consent may be required for any access wider than 9 metres, and/or any access over a waterway.

Altering or installing a new vehicle crossing

Any alterations such as widening and extensions or new installations must first be approved by the Council. The footpath level will not be raised to meet levels in private property unless approved prior by the Road Controlling Authority.

If there are obstructions to proposed vehicle crossing such as trees or stormwater pipes, let us know and we will advise you of your options.

Vehicle crossing application process

  1. Submit vehicle crossing application form [PDF, 1.2 MB] and proof of payment to RoadAmenityAdmin@ccc.govt.nz or at a Council Service Desk. 
    Note: if you pay at any Council Service Desk, a copy of your application with the receipt will be forwarded. Otherwise, a current Building Consent Number is required.
  2. We will endeavour to contact you within 10 working days of receiving your application.
  3. Once approval is issued, you can then construct your vehicle crossing.
  4. Book inspection(s) by phone (03) 941 8999 or email RoadAmenityAdmin@ccc.govt.nz, we will contact you via the supplied email address to confirm the booking day. Bookings must be received by 8am the day prior (e.g. 8am Monday for Tuesday inspection).

Do not seal the vehicle crossing until you get written confirmation from the Council that the quality of the vehicle crossing meets the Council standards (Section 6).

If you have not had a response to your application within 14 days, please contact us on (03) 941 8999 as you are not able to start the work until approval has been given.

Inspections

Residential vehicle crossings

  • One inspection is required before the sealing is complete.  This involves a visual inspection as well as an impact test (Clegg Hammer Test) to ensure the crossing is strong enough to take traffic.

Heavy Duty/Commercial vehicle crossings

  • Two inspections are required:
    1. One before the cutdown is poured (cage inspection) 
    2. Another before the sealing is complete. 

The second inspection will involve an impact test (Clegg Hammer Test) to ensure the crossing is strong enough to take traffic, and a visual inspection to ensure compliance with the Construction Standard Specifications(external link).

Fees

The vehicle crossing application fee is $153 including GST. 

If the Vehicle Crossing Site Inspection failed (depending on the circumstances e.g. weather), we will issue an invoice to the contractor. The invoice for the re-inspection must be paid in full with proof of payment prior to booking for a site re-inspection. A re-inspection fee of $90 including GST applies.

Fees can be paid at any Council Service Desk. Invoices are not created for the application fee and payments cannot be made online (e.g. bank transfer).

If the vehicle crossing is part of a new building project, the fee may be captured under the Building Consent. In this case, please supply us with the Building Consent Number issued. Approval of your Building Consent will not give you the authority to construct your vehicle crossing.

Widening access by bridge blocks

Where there is dish channel and the resident wishes to add bridge blocks to widen the access to the property, approval will be required from the Council. If approval is given, the resident can do one of two things:

  1. Purchase and install the bridge blocks themselves (where it is safe to do so)
  2. Employ a contractor to do the work for you (if it is unsafe to do so or the resident prefers to/is unable to do the work)

Council will need to inspect any vehicle crossing modifications. Please contact us on (03) 941 8999 or email RoadAmenityAdmin@ccc.govt.nz to book an inspection.

Bridge blocks can be purchased from Urban Paving at 575 Sawyers Arms Road, Harewood. Hot mix asphalt should be used to bed in the blocks as this will result in a better end product.

Report damage or request maintenance

Contact the Council on (03) 941 8999. If damage is caused by private contractors, remedial action is to be taken by those contractors.

Christchurch District Plan

There are a number of rules in the Christchurch District Plan which need to be adhered to.

These include the number of vehicle crossings, the distances between crossings, and the distance of crossings from an intersection. In some circumstances, the width of crossings is also controlled. 

Please refer to the District Plan, Chapter 7 Transport or contact the Duty Planner on (03) 941 8999.

Street trees

Permission is required from the Council to remove or prune a street tree, so it is important that any tree issues are clarified at the initial design phase of applications.

There are no guarantees that street tree removals or excessive pruning will be approved, especially where trees are healthy and sound and there are alternatives to a proposed design.

The Christchurch City Council Construction Standard Specification (Section 6) (Protection of Natural Assets and Habitats section) will apply to works within the vicinity of Council owned trees. The excavation and construction may require supervision by an arborist, and root barriers may be required along the edge of the vehicle crossing to minimise potential future damage that may be caused by tree roots.

Any tree removals or pruning must be carried out by a Council tree maintenance contractor, and all works usually occur at the applicant’s expense.

Applications that involve the removal or pruning of a significant tree or the removal of pruning of trees in parks, road corridors, reserves and public open spaces and works within the dripline or within 10 metres of trees may require a Resource Consent. Refer to Chapter 9.4 of the District Plan for more information or contact the Duty Planner at dutyplanner@ccc.govt.nz.

To apply for removal of a street tree, or for further information about installing a vehicle crossing near a street tree, please contact us on (03) 941 8999 at an early stage.