Geotechnical work has begun on the Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass, with the Government promising the long-anticipated project will ease congestion and improve safety on one of Canterbury’s busiest transport corridors.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Transport Minister James Meager said the $800 million to $1 billion project is progressing rapidly, with early drilling and soil investigations now underway to support the detailed design phase.
“The Government is committed to supporting the fast-growing Waimakariri District,” Bishop said. “This much-needed transport infrastructure will boost economic growth, reduce congestion, improve safety and access to housing growth areas.”
SH1 near Woodend currently carries around 21,500 vehicles per day, including a high proportion of freight. That figure is expected to reach 28,000 by 2048. Between 2014 and 2023, there were 280 crashes on the route through Woodend, including three fatalities and 25 serious injuries.
The NZ Transport Agency Board endorsed the investment case in November last year. The project includes:
- Widening SH1 from two to four lanes in the southern section
- A new four-lane motorway bypass to the north
- A grade-separated interchange at Williams Street
- Replacing the Pegasus roundabout with an overbridge and signals
- Seismic strengthening and widening of the Kaiapoi Bridge
- New bridges over the Cam River, and overbridges at Woodend Beach and Gladstone Roads
- Tolling to support construction and ongoing maintenance
In addition to approving the investment case, the NZTA Board committed $68.1 million for detailed design and early works planning, and $37 million for property acquisition.
The Government said the new motorway will cut travel times by up to 10 minutes during peak hours and reduce daily traffic through Woodend from 21,000 vehicles to 8,000. Annual deaths and serious injuries on the route are projected to fall from 5.6 to 1.25.
Associate Minister Meager said contractors will drill about 70 boreholes up to 35 metres deep over the next two months to assess soil, rock and groundwater conditions.
“Once the geotechnical data is available, NZTA will confirm the scope of the early works package and prepare consent applications,” Meager said.
Early works are expected to begin in 2026, with full construction starting later that year. The entire project is expected to take four years to complete.
Meager acknowledged local MPs and Canterbury leaders who had advocated strongly for the motorway.
“SH1 is a nationally strategic freight route and provides critical access to Christchurch, the airport, and Lyttelton Port,” he said. “This project will ensure people and freight can get where they need to go, quickly and safely.”
