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Christchurch City Council and KiwiRail are gearing up to open a new road link for Halswell Junction Road.

Work to commission the new railway level crossing and open the new road link over the railway line at Waterloo Road will start on Friday 16 May, with the opening expected by the end of the day on Thursday 22 May.

Road closures:

Pound Road Level Crossing: From 18 May to 22 May, Pound Road will be closed nightly (four nights) at the level crossing from 7pm to 9am.

New Halswell Junction Road Level Crossing: This level crossing remains closed and is expected to open at the end of the day on Thursday 22 May.

Existing Halswell Junction Road Level Crossing: From 6pm, 16 May 2025 onwards, this level crossing will be closed permanently, with no access for vehicles or pedestrians.

Parker Street/Gilberthorpes Road Level Crossing:
From 18 May to 22 May, Parker Street will be closed nightly (four nights) at the level crossing from 7pm to 9am.

The new road provides a safer and more direct route for traffic, including heavy haulage vehicles, by continuing Halswell Junction Road in a northwest direction between Foremans Road and Waterloo Road to a new signalised intersection. 

Traffic lights will be switched on once they have been integrated with the railway signals at the new level crossing.

“KiwiRail will be commissioning the new level crossing, permanently closing the level crossing on the existing road link, and completing extensive safety testing of the railway signalling system,” Transport Planning and Delivery Manager Jacob Bradbury says.

“Meanwhile, our roading contractor will complete work on Halswell Junction Road at the Foremans Road intersection and the new Waterloo Road intersection.”

There will be no access over the railway line at the existing Halswell Junction Road level crossing from 6pm on 16 May, when it will close permanently. 

Additionally, temporary road closures are required at the two level crossings either side of Halswell Junction Road – Pound Road and Parker Street / Gilberthorpes Road. These will be in place over four nights between 7pm and 9am, from Sunday 18 May to the morning of Thursday 22 May.

“The signalling system is interconnected, meaning everything within about a 5km radius needs to be reprogrammed and tested together,” Mr Bradbury says.

“This will cause a disruption to morning peak traffic, and we apologise for the inconvenience. If you’re travelling through the area before 9am, you’ll need to allow additional travelling time and follow the signposted detours.”

Once the new road link opens, work will begin on closing off the old road south of the railway line. The road, renamed Panther Place in April 2025, will become a cul-de-sac. 

A section of the South Express Cycleway will also be constructed on Waterloo Road between Wilson and Finsbury streets as part of the project. All work is expected to be completed by October 2025.

“This project has been several years in the making and has had a lot of support, so it will be great to see it all come together. We want to thank everyone for their patience,” Mr Bradbury says. 

Find more information, including detour maps, on the Halswell Junction Road extension project page.