Lyttelton and Sumner residents may hear short blasting sounds from next week, as work begins to remove large unstable rocks above Sumner Road.

When rocks are unstable and too large to lever out they are ‘blasted’ into manageable pieces, which are then removed. The blasting work to remove unstable rock along the Evans Pass section of Sumner Road will start next week.

From this time, residents of Lyttelton and Sumner may hear noise from these controlled blasts coming from the site. How the sound carries depends on atmospheric conditions so it's not possible to predict exactly where the blasting will be heard. Each small explosion will last for two to four seconds and they will occur intermittently for the next few months as the work to clear Sumner Road is completed.

No explosives or diesel will be stored onsite, but please stay clear of this area.

Please share this information with family and friends in Sumner and Lyttelton so they know what to expect. If you would like to be emailed with information ahead of the blasting please call the project freephone 0508 MCD COMMS (0508 623 266).

Following the 7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake in the early hours of Monday morning, Christchurch coastal residents heard the siren that signals a tsunami warning.

As the siren continued, McConnell Dowell Project Manager Richard Milsom - who manages the Sumner Road geotechnical risk mitigation works - knew there would be people heading up to one of the highest points in the area, the Evans Pass Lookout.

The lookout is at the entrance to the Sumner Road worksite and gated off for public safety. Richard knew parking on the pass would be limited so he decided to head up the hill to see what he could do.

By about 3am there were around 200 people in their cars parked in the dark up at Evans Pass.

Richard turned on the compound lights, opened up the site and directed cars off the road, creating space for them to manoeuvre. In the cold night, some light, shelter and facilities helped make the experience a little less frightening for locals who had gathered still in their pyjamas, coats and wrapped in blankets. Taking care of the children and the elderly was a priority, but equally a cup of tea or coffee was appreciated by many of the evacuees.

“We were pleased to be able to offer the local community a bit of relief on an otherwise long and stressful night,” Richard says.

On Tuesday morning the project team found a card, wine and chocolate had been dropped on the doorstep to thank them for their hospitality.

The earthquake didn’t affect the work already done to establish the site and the team are ready to start the first phase of the project, scaling the bluffs.

Work to stablise Sumner road may cause rockfalls into the water below, so for public safety the harbour below is now a restricted area.
Red buoys have been placed along the mouth of Gollans Bay marking out a marine exclusion zone.
Only vessels with the permission of the Harbour Master, carrying out essential work may enter this area. Until 2018 this area of the harbour is out of bounds for sailors, kayakers, swimmers and all other mariners.

As you will have read from the tsunami evacuee story, Contractors McConnell Dowell have now established the site office at the top of Evans Pass, for Sumner Road geotechnical risk migitation works.

The office is next to the large Macrocarpa, and the area has been fenced off for safety. The entire work site cannot be fenced due to its size, but it is a high hazard area.

We ask the public to stay away, follow signage if you need to be in the area, and all visitors must report to the site office. The Greenwood Mountain Bike Track which starts at the top of Evans Pass has been diverted around the outside of the site. Please follow the route marked by signage.
The tracks around the area will remain open to the public unless blasting work is being carried out. Marshalls will be positioned along the track while blasting is being carried out and the area will be cordoned off to ensure it remains clear. These track closures will only be intermittent and for short periods of time.

The green areas in the photo are where the earth has been sprayed with a biodegradable tinted polymer. This helps the dirt bind together and reduces the risk of sediment run off. The environmentally- friendly process will help keep the banks in place, reduce mud and improve safety.