Christchurch City Council has announced the second stage of the City to Sea Pathway is now ready for the public to enjoy, just in time for the summer months.
Construction on City to Sea East, which runs between Porritt Park and Anzac Drive (SH74) in Avondale, started in March and was completed earlier this month.
The Pathway is a shared walking and cycling path that follows the course of the Ōtākaro Avon River, through the red zone. Due to its size, the pathway is being built in three stages.
Residential Red Zone Manager, Dave Little says the completion of the second stage will allow the community to explore more of the red zone, with several breakout spaces and nature play areas to enjoy.
Native species to help with ecological restoration have been planted, and lighting installed so the space can be used safely in the evenings.
Stage one of the project was finished last year and has proved incredibly popular with the community.
“We’re really thrilled to see more of the pathway come to life. More than 65,000 trips were made on the pathway in September, and that number keeps growing. People are clearly ready to get out and use the red zone, and extending the path to Anzac Drive gives them a lot more of it to explore,” said Mr Little.
The second section of the pathway ends at the Anzac Drive underpass – an NZTA-owned bridge that experiences flooding during high tides. Clearance limitations beneath the bridge deck prevent raising of the pathway. As a result, a high tide detour is proposed along Anzac Drive and Wainoni Road, with warning signs at each end to alert users when the underpass is flooded.
The tender is also out to build the final stage of the pathway, which runs from Anzac Drive to Pages Road.
Construction on this section is expected to start early 2027 and finish in 2029, with the longer timeframe reflecting that the pathway will sit on top of new stopbanks, which need to be built first. Council says sections of the pathway will open for use as they are completed. Other works planned in this area include stormwater treatment facilities, and a pump station.
