This Road of National Significance project will create an efficient and reliable motorway connection between Belfast and Pegasus, while supporting economic growth and reducing community severance through Woodend.
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SH1 from Belfast to Pegasus is the key freight route to the north of Christchurch, and provides critical access to Christchurch City, the primary service centre for the South Island, with Christchurch International Airport, Lyttelton Port and major health, education, commercial and industrial services.
Woodend, Pegasus and Ravenswood are experiencing significant growth, far above what was anticipated when the project was designated in 2015.
This growth has led to high traffic volumes sooner than expected and this is leading to delays and safety concerns. SH1 approaching Woodend carries around 21,000 vehicles per day, and this is expected to grow to around 28,000 by 2048. During busy times it can take up to 20 minutes to travel through Woodend, and it’s difficult for people to access the shops, drop off and pick up children from Woodend Primary School and to turn into and out of side streets. It’s also difficult for people and children crossing between Ravenswood and Pegasus at the Pegasus roundabout.
The SH1 Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass includes a 10km extension on SH1 north of Christchurch from the SH1/SH71 Lineside Road interchange to just north of the Pegasus roundabout. It includes a 6km bypass of Woodend.
Recognising the significant growth in the Pegasus, Ravenswood and Woodend communities since the original scheme design was developed, a motorway overpass with signalised on and off ramps will be included in the design where the Pegasus roundabout is now.
This project has been prioritised for delivery as one of the Roads of National Significance.
Roads of National Significance
We are working on design, consenting and property acquisition and we expect the first phase of construction to start in early 2026. The project is expected to take around 4 years to complete.
Providing a motorway extension and an alternative corridor bypassing Woodend will improve resilience to this nationally significant corridor and significant traffic relief for the community. It will support economic growth and improve local connections for Woodend, Pegasus and Ravenswood.
Key features of the project include:
In November 2024, the NZTA Board approved funding towards design and early works for the project.
We want to start construction as soon as possible, so we’re splitting the project up and designing a less complicated portion of the project first. This means we can have these early works packages designed and consented in around 12 months with construction able to start early in 2026. We will share images of the design as we make progress.
The early works package includes low risk construction tasks that will allow us to prepare and lodge consents before starting the main construction work. By splitting the design into two phases, we can start construction of the easier tasks while continuing to design and consent the remainder of the project.
The main works construction is expected to take around four years to complete. Below is an indicative timeframe of key milestones:
*Project timings are subject to obtaining required approvals.
CloseWe’re around halfway through the detailed design phase, and this is where engineers confirm that everything is working together as planned and to identify any issues before finalising the design.
At the halfway point is where the design is more refined, and it confirms the big-picture approach before we dive further into the details.
Engineers have worked through many of the technical details, including:
As part of the detailed design phase and following data collected from the recent geotechnical investigations, planning is underway for work needed to strengthen the SH1 Kaiapoi River Bridge. This upgrade will improve its seismic performance and ensure the bridge can safely carry an additional southbound lane between the Lineside Road intersection and the Ohoka Road southbound slip lane. This lane will provide the capacity needed between the Lineside Road onramp and the Ohoka Road off-ramp.
The work is part of an early works package expected to begin in early 2026 and will involve strengthening the bridge columns by wrapping them with a special material called CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer) along with strengthening of the bridge abutments.
The second piece of work included in the early works package is the reclamation of the quarry lakes within the road designation.
To prepare for the new road, bulk fill material will be placed to form a solid base and an embankment for the new road across the lake. Doing this early allows time for the fill to settle properly, helping ensure the main construction works can begin more smoothly and efficiently.
In late 2025 we will lodge applications for statutory approvals for the main construction package under the Fast-track Approvals Act (FTAA). The consent application documents will be made available on the Fast-track website:
fasttrack.govt.nz(external link)
We will share designs for the new motorway soon.
CloseAs stated in the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS 2024), there is an expectation for NZTA to consider tolling to support the construction and maintenance of all new roads, including this project.
Tolling provides a way for users of a road to contribute towards the costs of building, operating and maintaining the road. This means existing funding can be redirected to new projects, getting them started sooner.
NZTA has assessed the project’s suitability as a tolled road and investigated the effects a tolling scheme would have on the local network.
From Tuesday 12 August to Tuesday 9 September 2025 NZTA sought feedback on a scheme that proposes two toll points:
Feedback on the toll proposal closed at 5pm on Tuesday 12 September 2025.
Following the consultation period, we will provide an engagement report on our webpage so you can see the feedback we received. All submissions and feedback collected via the public consultation will be summarised to the NZTA Board and the Minister of Transport. This will provide insights into the level of community support for the tolling scheme in the region.
The NZTA Board holds the delegation for recommending a toll road to the Minister. The Minister then makes a recommendation to Cabinet, which makes the final decision. Cabinet approves the necessary order to start tolling.
We will share more details as we make progress.
CloseThe Government announced in July 2024 that the SH1 Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass project (B2P) had been prioritised for delivery as one of the first Roads of National Significance (RoNS). The B2P project will make a difference to traffic numbers and the sort of traffic moving through Woodend.
In line with the Government’s transport priorities, our focus now is on delivering safe roading infrastructure via the Roads of National Significance and Roads of Regional Significance, providing enhanced maintenance and highway resilience as well as increased support for Police enforcement.
The combination of refocussing safety investment and prioritising an alternative route to the existing state highway corridor means the plans for SH1 safety upgrades from Saltwater Creek to Cam River will no longer progress to construction. This includes plans south of the Pegasus roundabout to the Cam River.
While we’re working on the design of the new motorway, safety upgrade plans for the area north of Pegasus to Saltwater Creek will be rescoped with the B2P project in mind. Any work on the existing highway, north of the Pegasus roundabout, will likely happen between Saltwater Creek and Tulls Road. This will be very minor in scope and will not include flexible median safety barrier.
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