Christchurch Temporary Traffic Management – November 2024

We issue this bulletin to provide the industry with information regarding upcoming changes to TTM and highlight critical points that need to be taken into account by traffic management operators on Christchurch City Council roads.   

Temporary worksite restrictions in the lead-up to Christmas

The pre-Christmas shopping period is a busy time for retailers. In the weeks leading up to Christmas it's critical that shoppers experience safe and efficient access to retail areas, parking spaces, and the strategic routes that link them.

To make sure this happens, there will be temporary worksite restrictions. Please refer to the highlighted areas and roads on this map. The restrictions will help minimise disruption for businesses, shoppers and the community.

Restriction dates 
Retail area restrictions (shaded yellow on the map) apply from 7am Saturday 30 November to 6pm Thursday 26 December. Works affecting traffic capacity, parking and access will not be permitted between 7am and midnight each day.

Linking strategic routes
Restrictions on corridors that are not state highways (shaded orange on the map) apply from 3.30pm Monday 1 December to 6pm Thursday 26 December. Works affecting traffic capacity reductions, including cycle lanes and traffic movements at intersections, are not permitted between 7am and midnight each day.

Please do not establish any new long-term or continuous worksites during this period. Long-term temporary traffic management at established worksites must also be minimised.

Restriction exceptions
TMPs that enable works of strategic importance to occur will be considered on an exception basis during the period 30 November to 26 December. Please contact a TMC to discuss project details by 5pm Monday 18 November if you wish to request exceptions.

Equipment tidy-up
Particularly during this busy period of the year, we must ensure the network is safe and accessible for all road users, which means putting an extra focus on equipment left behind or abandoned on unattended worksites.

We ask that contractors and traffic management providers take extra care to collect abandoned traffic cones and equipment that is not required, so we don't need to undertake additional compliance activities.

Waka Kotahi roading network 
Please refer to any separate restrictions that Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency publish around state highway operations.

The 'low traffic period' opportunity

The holiday period of low traffic demand between Thursday 26 December 2024 and Friday 17 January 2024 presents an opportunity to carry out works that will have a higher impact on the transport network. Notable days and periods to consider:

• A longer period with lower-than-typical weekday/weekend traffic flows.
• The days with the lowest traffic flows of the entire year between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

This provides an opportunity to carry out works that are likely to have a significant impact on the transport network if otherwise carried out on typical weekdays or weekends. For example:

• Works on a significantly busy area of the transport network (e.g. arterial road or similar).
• Works that could be delivered more effectively/efficiently if a larger area of road-space was available (e.g. one-way or full road closure).
• A combination of the above.

The Council will likely support high impact works like those described above if programme owners choose to take advantage of this opportunity, and we may not support  ones proposed for other times of the year where this period wasn't considered.

Site visits from the Council's TTM team

With NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) retiring the Code of Practice Temporary Traffic Management (CoPTTM), we wanted to inform you that you can still expect site visits and inspections from our TTM Compliance Officers and TMCs.

This is to ensure that all works are being carried out in a safe manner, and in accordance with an authorised, approved or accepted Traffic Management Plan – contractors must undertake work in the manner they've stated they would or, if circumstances have changed, that they've assessed, documented and mitigated the risks. Then, as soon as practical, they should communicate any changes to seek further approval or authorisation as required.

There will still be sanctions for organisations and individuals should worksites be deployed in an unsafe manner or without approved or accepted TMP. 

With NZTA no longer operating the traditional warrant card system and Notice of Non-Conformance process, we're developing our own process, and will adapt documentation and forms to function similarly to the previous NZTA processes. You can still expect to see advisory notes requesting information, as well as Notices of Non-Conformance and warnings, to enable our team to fulfil legislative obligations.  

For any enquiries or information, please contact the Temporary Traffic Management team via TMC@ccc.govt.nz or call (03) 941 8842. You can also read more on our traffic management news and information webpage.

Ngā mihi, 
Traffic Management Team