Christchurch’s Antigua Street is set for a major upgrade in preparation for the opening of the Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre in late 2025.

The work, scheduled from May to November this year, will cover the stretch of Antigua Street between Moorhouse Avenue and St Asaph Street. It includes reconstructing the road and western footpath, upgrading the temporary cycle lanes to separated cycleways in both directions, and renewing the watermain.

An upgrade to this section of Antigua Street has been planned since 2021.

Brent Smith, General Manager of City Infrastructure, said aligning the road and water infrastructure works made sense.

“The pipes were due to be replaced, so it’s always best to align works when we can,” he said.

“The watermain will be larger compared to the existing pipes, helping to meet increasing demand for water supply, including from Parakiore.”

The upgraded cycleways will connect with existing routes on St Asaph Street (eastbound) and Tuam Street (westbound), improving safety and accessibility for cyclists.

“Likewise, the new cycleways will make Parakiore easily accessible for cyclists, while also providing a permanent and safe cycling connection for one of our busiest cycleways, Quarryman’s Trail,” Smith said.

The Quarryman’s Trail Major Cycle Route, which runs from Halswell Road to Moorhouse Avenue, is among the city’s most popular, with an average of 1000 to 1200 cyclists passing through Antigua Street each day.

Some road space will be gained from Parakiore land on the west side to allow for the new footpath, while on-street parking will be removed from the east side to improve sightlines and driveway safety. Parking will still be available on the west side.

Investigation works to locate underground services will begin on 18 May and will require night closures over six nights from 7pm to 6am.

A temporary northbound one-way system will be in place from 26 May to early November to ensure the safety of both road users and contractors while construction is underway.