State Highway 1 from Picton to Christchurch provides a vital freight link between the North Island via Picton, onwards to the Lyttelton Port, Christchurch International Airport, and the rest of the South Island. It is also a busy route for domestic and overseas tourists.
Restoring full access between Picton and Christchurch via State Highway 1 will be a huge job that will take a number of months to complete. The scale and the complexity of the slips on State Highway 1 are unprecedented in New Zealand, and the task ahead is huge.
Police and their road safety partners are conscious of the challenging time that operators are being faced with travelling on the longer alternate state highway route between Christchurch and Picton, after the earthquakes took out parts of the SH1 route.
Following are some key messages that will help drivers arrive to their destination safely:
Drivers need to be extra cautious and patient. Let backed up traffic pass when safe to do so. It's expected that traffic flows will increase by at least four times the amount pre earthquake, with a large proportion of the traffic being truck and trailer units. Please, when possible to do so safely, pull over to let traffic behind you through. This will help to avoid drivers behind you become frustrated and making poor decisions around overtaking.
Build in extra time for the drive and take regular breaks. The Christchurch to Picton route, SH7, is a considerable longer and more challenging drive for all drivers. We encourage commercial transport operators to build in extra time along this route and to be aware that it will take a minimum of seven and a half hours to travel from Picton to Christchurch. Please have regular breaks and use the facilities at key towns along the route.
There will be increased high visibility Police patrols and Transport Agency maintenance contract team presence along the route.
Drivers also need to be prepared for the unexpected and not drive an overloaded vehicle. The earthquake has increased instability in some places. There will be some repair work carried out on this route to widen road shoulders and some speed restrictions could be put in place. It's vital that vehicles are not overloaded as this will put extra pressure on the road's infrastructure.
Don't drive fatigued. Get a good night's sleep before you drive. With a much longer drive, drivers need to be aware of the dangerous mix of fatigue and driving. Fatigue affects driver's reactions, ability to concentrate and risk judgement. Stopping and getting a good night's sleep is the only cure. For warning signs and how to minimise the risk of fatigue visit http://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/driving-safely/fatigue
For further information, please visit www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic-and-travel-information/travel-information-for-canterbury-and-marlborough-regions or email EQSHRoadInfo@nzta.govt.nz.
We
appreciate that this is a challenging and difficult time for all, so please be
patient, drive to the road conditions and look after yourself and those you
share the road with.
