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 project spans approximately 11kms. It involves upgrading SH1 to four lanes north of Christchurch, from the SH1/SH71 Lineside Road interchange to the Williams Street interchange at Pineacres. The project also includes a 6km bypass around Woodend, which will connect back to SH1 north of the current Pegasus roundabout.
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.
More information on the design process
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.
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.
CloseThis video gives you a visual idea of what the new motorway could look like and the path it will follow within the approved designation, as well as key features of the design.
It starts south of Ohoka Road, before heading north along the proposed widened four lane section of motorway between the SH71 Lineside Road interchange and the Williams Street interchange at Pineacres.
From the Williams Street interchange, it heads along the Woodend bypass which travels east around the Woodend Township towards the Pegasus interchange at Bob Robertson Drive and Pegasus Boulevard. It finishes just north of Wards Road.
The project includes new local road overbridges at Woodend Beach Road and Gladstone Road, and a connection from Main North Road to Garlick Street.
Please note - the design is still a work in progress. Major elements like the layout and key features like interchanges and bridges are mostly confirmed, but finer details are still being worked through.
While the overall look and feel won’t change much from here, this video is indicative only, not the final version.
