21 April 2026   

Water and roading infrastructure in the city’s northwest is being upgraded to make sure these essential services continue to meet the needs of our growing communities.

Major water supply renewal on Harewood Road starts soon

Our contractor will soon start work to replace the water supply pipe on Harewood Road between number 107 (near the entrance to Harris Crescent) and number 410 (near the Breens/Gardiners Road intersection).

Harewood Road is a significant arterial road with a mix of residences, businesses and health service providers, so we’ll be working hard to minimise the disruption to everyone who lives, works or travels through the area.

The project will be completed in stages. Following initial investigations in late April, construction will start at 110 in early May and progress west to connect to the new pipe installed at the Breens/Gardiners Roads intersection as part of the Harewood Road traffic signals and water upgrades project (completed in March this year).

The project also includes replacing water supply pipes on Wilmot Street, Hoani Street, Ellery Street, La Perouse Place and a section of Sawyers Arms Road between Morrison Avenue and the intersection with Northcote and Greers Roads. This work is planned for later in the year.

The work site and traffic management for this project will change as the work progresses. The water supply pipe doesn’t follow a straight line, so our contractor – Schick Civil Construction – will be working on the south side of the road at times and on the north side at others.

Two-way traffic will be maintained on Harewood Road as much as possible, although we’ll be advising road users to expect delays and plan ahead, or consider alternative routes if they are travelling through the area. There may be impacts to bus services – www.metroinfo.co.nz/timetables/updates/ will have the latest information on any stop closures or detours.

Water supply pipe replacement, Wairakei Road (northern end)

From the week of 4 May, our contractor CityCare Water is replacing the water supply pipe at the northern end of Wairakei Road between Breens Road and Wooldridge Road.

The work is expected to take about seven weeks and will involve the closure of one lane on this section of Wairakei Road, with a one-way system (westbound) in place. Road closures are also required for a time on Breens Road and Todd Avenue, and there will be some night works at the Wooldridge Road/Wairakei Road roundabout in mid-June. Our webpage will have more details about the traffic impacts before the work starts.

If you’re travelling through this part of Wairakei Road while the work is underway, expect delays and plan ahead. Businesses will be open as usual.  

The work will impact bus services - check www.metroinfo.co.nz/timetables/updates/ for the latest information on detours and stop closures.

Nor’West Arc cycleway and wastewater upgrade – Matsons Avenue, Chapel Street, Harewood Road

As we did with the previous stage of the Nor’West Arc cycleway construction, we’re combining installation of the next section of the cycleway on Matsons Avenue with the replacement of wastewater pipes on Matsons Avenue, Chapel Street and a section of Harewood Road (between Matsons Avenue and Harris Crescent).

The Nor'West Arc cycleway connects cyclists from Cashmere to Papanui, via Spreydon, Middleton, Riccarton, Ilam and Bryndwr. The route begins at Princess Margaret Hospital in Cashmere and is currently open as far as Wairakei Road. We will be extending the cycleway along the full length of Matsons Avenue, from Condell Avenue to Harewood Road.

The cycleway installation and pipe replacement work is expected to start in the first half of May. At the time of writing this newsletter, the contractor has not been confirmed. Once the contract has been awarded, we will be in touch again with details of a community drop-in session where you can learn more about the project and its likely impacts.

We’ll publish start works notices for these projects on our website as soon as they are available.

Wastewater pipe replacement, Wairakei Road

Dormer Construction has been awarded the contract to replace the wastewater main on Wairakei Road between Ilam Road and Grahams Road.

Detailed planning is now under way, with the work likely to start around August 2026. We’ll provide more details on that work in an upcoming newsletter.

In progress and completed works

Laying asphalt on Greers Road by Burnside High School and Christ the King Primary School

Memorial Avenue/Greers Road water supply

Replacement of the water supply pipe on a section of Memorial Avenue, Greers Road and several side streets off Greers Road near Jellie Park is progressing well.

Over the school holidays our contractor completed ‘cut-ins’ – where the new pipes are connected to existing lateral pipes – outside Burnside High School and Christ the King Primary School. Work on Greers Road is due to be completed before the end of May.

Condell Avenue, Morrison Avenue/Langdons Road water supply

Work to replace wastewater main and lateral pipes on Condell Avenue between Aorangi Road and Matsons Avenue was completed just after Easter.

The replacement of water supply pipes on Langdons Road and Morrisons Avenue will be completed at the end of April.

Stay updated

Regular e-newsletters like this one will be sent throughout the duration of the Northwest upgrades programme. If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, they can subscribe on our website at www.ccc.govt.nz/Northwest