The re-opening of Sumner Road moved a significant step closer today, with a blessing and planting to mark the start of geotechnical works around Crater Rims Bluffs. The image above shows Kopa Lee from Rapaki Marae performing a blessing.

Sumner Road from Evans Pass to Lyttelton has been closed since the February 2011 Earthquake, due to earthquake damage and the risk posed by geohazards including rockfall, cliff collapse and landslides.

The Sumner Road reopening project, jointly funded by NZ Transport Agency and Christchurch City Council, will see this important roading link opened again.

Sumner Road is one of four projects within the Sumner-Lyttelton Corridor programme, which aims to mitigate geohazard risks to road users and return the road corridor between the Sumner side of the causeway and Lyttelton to its pre-quake level of service.

The work to mitigate the geohazard risks around Crater Rim Bluffs at the top of Sumner Road, is the first stage in the project to re-open Sumner Road, and will be undertaken by McConnell Dowell, partnering with Beca, Doug Hood Mining and Geovert.

Once the geotechnical risk mitigation work is completed, the next stage of work will begin, investigating the extent of the damage to retaining walls along the road. The road will then be repaired and reinstated. At this stage, it’s expected that the road will reopen in 2018.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel says Sumner Road is such an important place to Cantabrians.

"Economically as the link between Lyttelton Port and the city, as the connection between Lyttelton and Sumner communities and also as hugely popular recreational space with tourists and cyclists. It’s really exciting to be heading into this phase of work, and see us closer to being able to travel this road once again.”

The Transport Agency’s Southern Regional Director Jim Harland says with this work starting, the community will start to see great progress in getting Sumner Road re-opened. “This is a lifeline route for Christchurch, and so critical in supporting the economic wellbeing of not only Canterbury but the whole South Island. This is recognised by the Transport Agency’s 83 per cent funding of the work as part of the earthquake recovery programme.

He says the re-opening of Sumner Road will help in limiting night-time closures of Lyttelton Tunnel and provide better access for the harbourside community.

Work on the other three Sumner Lyttelton Corridor projects – Moa Bone Point, Wakefield Avenue and Shag Rock Reserve, is progressing well, with the shipping containers protecting the road from rockfall able to be removed from Moa Bone Point late last month.

Jim Harland, NZ Transport Agency Southern Regional Director, and Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, with the first of some 35,000 plants that will be planted as part of the Sumner Road Re-opening project.

Rachel Brown from DOC, McConnell Dowell Operations Manager Joe Edwards and McConnell Dowell Board Member Linda Constable take part in the planting.

Guests at the site of the blessing and planting

People visiting the area at the top of Evans Pass, where it meets Sumner Road, and the harbour below, will notice some changes to access with the Sumner Road geotechnical risk mitigation works starting.

The area for the proposed work extends from the Evans Pass lookout down to Double Gully. It includes the Crater Rim Bluffs and the slopes below these, the Battery Point Bluffs and the road cuttings, and the gullies to the west of the Crater Rim Bluffs.

For public safety, a gate has been installed across the junction of Sumner and Summit Road, limiting access to the lookout. While the work is taking place, heavy vehicles will use the lookout area and carpark at the top of Sumner Road as a turning point and staging area, making it unsuitable for public access.

A walking track across Crater Hill will remain open and provide access to recreational areas.

All areas not accessible to the public will be fenced off, but for your safety, when walking or cycling in the area, please take care, follow the directions on all signage and do not cross safety barriers, as there will be high hazard work taking place nearby.

If you have any questions or concerns about the project please contact the project team on 0508 SUMNER.

Locals should also be aware of the marine exclusion zone put in place - shown in red in the map above. For public safety and to manage the risk from rockfall, from September 2016 until 2018, the Harbourmaster has marked Gollans Bay off with buoys. While the geotechnical risk mitigation works are being carried out and there is blasting on the bluffs to remove and deconstruct loose rock the area will remain closed to all members of the public.

Please contact the project team on 0508 SUMNER if you have any questions about the marine exclusion zone.