An update on the Woolston Village Upgrade 

Kia ora from Woolston Village upgrade team.

It’s week six of construction and we're well ahead on the sewer replacement works. Because we've lined parts of the old wastewater pipe instead of replacing it, we have avoided trenching through some of the busiest parts of Ferry Road and are working ahead of schedule.

We’re working in several locations around Woolston Village to renew the sewer network and our teams will continue moving through the Village to complete this work.

The drainage work on St Johns Street is almost complete and we'll reopen both lanes to traffic soon. We will still have ongoing kerb and channel works in this area. Next, we'll close the intersection of Portman Street so our drainage team can replace this section of pipeline, then will carry on along Ferry Road towards Oak Street. 

Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding while we upgrade Woolston Village.

Road closure - Portman Street 

From Wednesday 26 August, we’re temporarily closing the entrance to Portman Street from Ferry Road for up to four weeks to give our team space to dig up the road and replace the existing sewer pipes.

We will start this work after St Johns Street reopens to two-way traffic. Detour routes will be in place via Ferry Road and St Johns Street or Hargood Street.

When work at the intersection is complete, this team will continue working along Ferry Road to the intersection of Oak Street.

Road closure - Oak Street

Traffic, parking and pedestrians

You won’t be able to access Portman Street from Ferry Road, however there will be clear detours in place. Access to the free public parking will be available from Ferry Road. If you usually access this parking from Portman Street, there will be a detour route from Heathcote Street or St Johns Street. Pedestrian access to homes and businesses will be maintained at all times. 

New World parking

A gentle reminder that this is reserved for New World customers only. If you're working at or visiting the businesses along Ferry Road, please consider using the off-street parking on Glenroy Street or access the free parking public parking via Ferry Road.

Walkway to Glenroy Street

We've created a temporary walkway from Glenroy Street through to the community library, so another option is to park on Glenroy Street and follow the signs through to the shops.

Working at pace on Ferry Road

We've completed the wastewater works on this section of Ferry Road and our roading team are on track with the road renewal works. 

I grew up in Woolston, and went to Woolston school (now Te Waka Unua) in the 1960's. We had a vibrant community then, with sports clubs and the Woolston pool which was in the park next to the school. Families were connected by the school and local events and we had a sense of Community.

By the time I returned to raise my family in 1992, it was vastly different. The swim club was long gone and the pool had only a few years to go before it was closed. Times changed, low incomes and less home ownership introduced a transient population; Ferry Road became a busy main road and our sense of community slowly faded.

In recent years the shops in the heart of Woolston have been at the disadvantage of being on a very busy thoroughfare; uninviting unless you had a specific reason to go there. There are some real retail gems hidden there and also, so I'm told, the best fish and chip shop in Christchurch. But there has been nowhere to sit and have a yarn, or watch the world go by, or get to know your neighbours over a coffee or an ice-cream.

The Woolston Village upgrade will provide our area with a 'Village' type shopping precinct, it will become somewhere nice to spend your time. The traffic will be slowed making it easier to cross the road, and the addition of trees and plants will detract from the vehicles driving through to get somewhere else. I look forward to spending time there, not just a one shop stop.

Woolston is my forever home, I love the Heathcote River and the ease of getting to the inner city or our suburban beaches. And, now we are being given an opportunity to rebuild our community and local identity. I intend to embrace the opportunity and run with it.

 * Jackie Simons is a member of the Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Board.

Support for local businesses

You can download our ‘Open for Business’ and ‘Love Woolston, Shop Local’ posters from our webpage, or contact Haidee to have some dropped off.

Answering your questions

Why aren't you replacing all the sewer pipe under Ferry Road?

We're using a technology called spiral lining to renew the wastewater pipes under some of the busiest section of Ferry Road. This is much less invasive than the traditional method of trenching (digging up the road) to replace the pipes. We'll still need to trench some sections, but where possible, we'll line the pipes to minimise disruption to businesses and residents.

Can I have a parking sign for my business?

We've had a few businesses ask us for signage to direct people to their private parking. We prefer to direct people to the free public parking behind the community library, which can be accessed from Ferry Road and Portman Street, or to off-street parking on Glenroy Street, where they can access the shops via a temporary walkway. This is so we don't clutter up the street with multiple parking signs, which could be confusing to drivers. We must also abide by the legal requirements for using temporary traffic management, set out in the Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management (CoPTTM), to keep all road users and workers safe.

Check out our project website for answers to frequently asked questions about the upgrade.

Stay up to date with news and updates

Visit our project webpage for the latest information about the upgrade. We'll send out regular newsletters as the project progresses. If you know anyone who would like to receive these newsletters, please ask them to sign up here, or email WoolstonVillage@ccc.govt.nz.

Thanks for your patience while we upgrade Woolston Village.