Lyttelton rail tunnel nzhistory, new zealand history online. Quakehit christchurch road to finally reopen after eight. A group of women at the opening of the lyttelton road tunnel on 27 february 1964. Prior to opening the public were invited to walk through the tunnel and thousands did so.
A quakehit christchurch road that has been closed for eight years is set to reopen next month. This 1964 view of the building and the portal on the heathcote side of the christchurchlyttelton road tunnel shows the toll booths where motorists used to stop and pay the toll. Book your tickets online for lyttelton, christchurch. Do you need to book in advance to visit lyttelton harbour. The lyttelton road tunnel connects christchurch with the south islands largest. On completion in 1867 it became the first tunnel in the world to be taken through the side of an extinct volcano, and at 2. Lyttelton regattas were important as spectator events for christchurch residents from 1862. Any day of the week in lyttelton offers up a slightly offbeat harbourside character. Christchurch lyttelton road tunnel official opening booklet.
Driving through lyttelton tunnel,christchurch nz youtube. Library resources christchurch, lyttelton, banks pensisula. Flashback when christchurch had commuter trains talking. In 1850 settlers sweated over the steep, narrow bridle path from lyttelton to the swampy site of christchurch. The port of lyttelton generously opened the gates to their stock of timber piles and various material to our landscape architect to pick through for repurposing into the station design. Alternate access to lyttelton was available for private vehicles via the dyers rd pass. Lyttelton road tunnel lyttelton, new zealand landmark. Print subscription nz herald eedition advertise with nzme book.
On 31 august 2014, to celebrate the tunnels 50th anniversay, 25,000 people did it again. For nearly fifty years the lack of it has been a thorn in the side of the. At the opening of lyttelton road tunnel nzhistory, new. The lyttelton rail tunnel, initially called the moorhouse tunnel, links the city of christchurch with the port of lyttelton in the canterbury region of new zealands south island. It was the first tunnel in the world to be driven through the side of an extinct volcano. Opened on 27 feb it was designed as a toll tunnel but became tollfree in christchurch, new zealand road tunnel to lyttelton nearing completiton.
The tunnel complemented the long established lyttelton rail tunnel. The organised settlement of canterbury commenced in 1850 via the shelter of lyttelton by ship harbour, 12km south of where central christchurch had been placed. The lyttelton road tunnel was commissioned with the purpose of providing a direct road link between the developing canterbury region and the port. The length of the lyttelton tunnel is 1,970metres6,460ft long and was opened on 27 february 1964. Lyttelton road tunnel administration building wikipedia. Christchurchlyttelton road tunnel canterbury places te. The state highway 74 christchurchlyttelton road tunnel is one new. Join hannah blumhardt and liam prince, the nowaste nomads behind the rubbish trip for an introduction to the practicalities and philosophy of waste reduction. The lyttelton road tunnel that created a direct road link between christchurhc and the port of lyttelton, was opened on 27 february 1964. The port of lyttelton is situated on the north shore of lyttelton harbour and close to the banks peninsula. Published by the christchurch lyttelton road tunnel committee 1956 about 60,000 bales of wool are transported over the steep evans pass grade every year. The lyttelton tunnel provides a critical road link between the port of lyttelton and christchurch.
Christchurchlyttelton road tunnel canterbury places. The lyttelton rail tunnel christchurch city libraries. Lyttelton road tunnel the lyttelton road tunnel opened 27 february 1964 creating a vital link between the city of christchurch, new zealand and its port lyttelton. Lyttelton lyttelton is the seaport satellite town of christchurch in new zealand, lying just over the port hills from christchurch. Lyttelton folk wonder why their tunnel tiles look so shabby. Janise dickson, carmel doherty, mary mclorinan, catherine kennedy, christine smith. The lyttelton road tunnel opened 27 february 1964 creating a vital link between the city of christchurch, new zealand and its port lyttelton. Lyttelton rail tunnel 1867 extraordinary engineering. Since 1964 the lyttelton tunnel has been a critical road link between the port of lyttelton and christchurch, reducing the travel distance between the two by around 8km.
Recording and preserving our ports history click here for the full port history and archaeological study reports. Aug, 2014 the length of the lyttelton tunnel is 1,970metres6,460ft long and was opened on 27 february 1964. Lyttelton harbour 2020 all you need to know before you. The construction of the christchurch lyttelton road tunnel was one of the largest and most significant engineering projects to be carried out in new zealand during the postwar period and the tunnel authority administration building is an essential, and the most visible, part of this project. This tunnel is a vital transport artery for delivering the goods and services needed to rebuild christchurch. Bridle path of the port hills or a perilous journey by small boat across the. Heavy goods had to be unloaded at lyttelton and put aboard small craft that were sent across the perilous sumner bar to ferrymead, near the mouth of the heathcote river. A road tunnel connecting christchurch with the port of lyttelton was completed in 1964. Opened on 27 february 1964, the tunnel through the port hills was an. Drive through the lyttelton road tunnel and you may notice. Lyttelton to wellington by sea is a distance of 175 miles. The tunnel complemented the long establishedlyttelton rail tunnel. More about the history of the tunnel can be found in the two booklets below. It opened in 1964 and carries just over 10,000 vehicles per day as part of state highway 74.
The lyttelton road tunnel runs through the port hills to connect the new zealand city of christchurch and its seaport, lyttelton. They drew even larger crowds after the lyttelton rail tunnel was opened in 1867. Introduction the christchurchlyttelton road tunnel may well be regarded as one of new zealands most historic projects. You can also find the distance from lyttelton to christchurch using other travel options like bus, subway, tram, train and rail. In 1964, the rail tunnel was supplemented by the 2. Christchurch has been an important trade centre on. The electrified service was opened in 1928, with 24 passenger trains and 12 freight trains each way each weekday. Drive through the lyttelton road tunnel and you may notice deterioration in the white tiles along the sides. A 20 cent toll levied to use the tunnel was abolished by the christchurch lyttelton road tunnel authority dissolution act 1978, which became effective on 1 april 1979. Christchurchs first european settlers landed here in 1850 before trekking over the port hills to establish their new home. Lyttelton rail tunnel, seen here in the old illustrated press, opened in 1867 to. Scotter, a history of port lyttelton, lyttelton harbour board, christchurch, 1968. David welch, an historian who has written a book about the tunnel.
Christchurch is regarded as the gateway to the south island of new zealand opening up to places like queenstown, lake tekapo, hamner springs, kaikoura, lake wanaka, little river, akaroa, lyttelton, arrowtown and many more places. The christchurch lyttelton road tunnel booklet by nz. The building was designed by architect peter beaven and is seen as significant in the development of new zealand architecture. The construction of the christchurchlyttelton road tunnel was one of the largest and most significant engineering projects to be carried out in new zealand during the postwar period and the tunnel authority administration building is an essential, and the most visible, part of this project. The port and town of lyttelton are on the north shore of lyttelton harbour, a sea inlet in the northwest of banks peninsula on the coast of canterbury in the south island of new zealand. The surrounding regions of christchurch and the south island are worth visiting and offer something special in their own unique way. Autodependent suburbs were being built miles away from the railway lines, the christchurch master transportation plan proposed a network of motorways, expressways and arterial roads crisscrossing the city, and the lyttelton road tunnel had just opened, ending the railways monopoly on passenger transport on that route. New zealands longest road tunnel is designed to handle 2,400 vehicles an hour. In 1955 the growing importance of the port led to statutory authority being granted for the construction of a road tunnel between lyttelton and christchurch the 1951 dispute was cited as emphasising the need for direct road access to lyttelton from christchurch. Around 150,000 cubic metres of rock was removed to create the tunnel. This had an added benefit of allowing this public space to link well with albion square, a short walk up. The rail tunnel was opened in 1867 and is 10 chains more than a mile and ahalf long and this was the first railway line opened in new zealand. Opened on 27 february 1964, the tunnel through the port hills was an engineering challenge. The critical road link between sumner and lyttelton over the port hills has been closed since the.
A 20 cent toll levied to use the tunnel was abolished by the christchurch. The lyttelton road tunnel administration building was built in the mid1960s as an operational building for the lyttelton road tunnel in christchurch, new zealand. Lyttelton map greater christchurch, new zealand mapcarta. Lyttelton fire station christchurch goom landscaping. Lyttelton road oxford street p pages road park terrace r randolph terrace reserve terrace ripon street ross parade ross terrace s seaview terrace selwyn lane selwyn parade selwyn road shackleton terrace simeon quay somes road st davids street stevensons. This had an added benefit of allowing this public space to link well with albion square, a short walk up the road that uses the same wharf timbers. Construction began in 1962 and the tunnel opened in 1964.
Today lyttelton is accessed by an impressive road tunnel. People were invited to walk through the tunnel on opening day. Lyttelton provides a safe, sheltered deepwater harbour, as it lies in the caldera of an extinct volcano. Large luggage was shipped to christchurch via the heathcote estuary and up the avon river. Aug 14, 2016 a post currently doing the rounds on facebook is once again raising the possibility of getting bikes through the lyttelton road tunnel under their own steam.
Feb 11, 2014 lyttelton folk wonder why their tunnel tiles look so shabby. It is designated a motorway, with pedestrians and cyclists excluded, although for the most part the road is 23 lane undivided carriageway. It is the countrys oldest operational rail tunnel, and is on the lyttelton line, one of the first in the province. System maintenance of our online services is currently scheduled for thursday 23 april from 2100 hours to friday 24 april 0100 hours. The opening of the christchurchlyttelton road tunnel by his excellency brigadier sir bernard fergusson, represents the completion of a project which for man years has been the objective of a group of enthusiasts and the desire of thousands of christchurch. The quake damaged lyttelton tunnel is expected to reopen to local traffic.
At present, the 52yearold tunnel only allows bikes that are attached to the racks of the buses that go through. Jul 02, 2012 the christchurch lyttelton road tunnel booklet published on jul 2, 2012 this booklets was produced in 1956 and outline the benefits of the proposed lyttelton tunnel. Nov 22, 2018 autodependent suburbs were being built miles away from the railway lines, the christchurch master transportation plan proposed a network of motorways, expressways and arterial roads crisscrossing the city, and the lyttelton road tunnel had just opened, ending the railways monopoly on passenger transport on that route. The christchurch lyttelton road tunnel booklet published on jul 2, 2012 this booklets was produced in 1956 and outline the benefits of the proposed lyttelton tunnel. Map of lyttelton, christchurch, new zealand with street names and local businesses. A post currently doing the rounds on facebook is once again raising the possibility of getting bikes through the lyttelton road tunnel under their own steam. Christchurch closure of evans passsumner road the christchurch city council have had to close sumner rd due to rock falls.
It was recognised as far back as 1851, a year after christchurch and lyttelton were settled that road access between the twowas required. In 1965, an average of 2,805 vehicles a day used the tunnel. Plea to clean up squalid lyttelton tunnel rnz news. The town is linked to christchurch by railway and road tunnels through the port hills. It was new zealands first rail tunnel, and for many years the longest. When the tunnel road was opened, there was no longer a need for an intensive rail passenger service and much of the port freight also went by road. A tunnel linking lyttelton to the heart of christchurch city means a trip to this busy seaport and scenic destination is only a 1520 minute drive. Lyttelton harbour, a drowned volcanic cone on the east coast, is the port to the largest south island city, christchurch, which is minutes away by road or rail. The tunnel opened in 1964, 110 years after it was first mooted and was hailed by the. The lyttelton road tunnel connects christchurch with the south islands largest deepwater port at lyttelton and, at a length of 1. At 1,970 metres, it was the longest road tunnel in new zealand from its opening until 2 july 2017, when it was superseded by the waterview tunnels. While the tunnel itself was not damaged due to the february 2011 christchurch earthquake, the heathcote tunnel canopy was destroy. Aug 31, 2014 around 150,000 cubic metres of rock was removed to create the tunnel.
Blasting to remoce hazards is planned for sat 11 september. The lyttelton road tunnel linking canterbury to the world for 50 years. The distance between lyttelton to christchurch is 12 km by road. It was designed as a toll tunnel but became tollfree in 1979. Jul 02, 2012 introduction the christchurchlyttelton road tunnel may well be regarded as one of new zealands most historic projects. Christchurch lyttelton tunnel reopens the lyttelton tunnel re opened after a safety inspection late weds 8th spetember. Between 1895 and 1976, steam ferries operated an overnight. The opening of the tunnel reduced the travel distance between christchurch and lyttelton. Project lyttelton is pleased to host an afternoon session on zero waste living as part of the lyttelton summer fest 2018. Its a popular spot for cruise ships and cargo vessels, but its also the starting point for many smaller cruising tours such as the black cat cruises day trip to quail island. It was designed as a toll tunnel but became tollfree in. In 2011 this figure is just over 11,000 vehicles a day including around 1,260 heavy commercial. Apart from the trip distance, refer directions from lyttelton to christchurch for road driving directions. When it officially opened on 27 february 1964 it was hailed by the local community as the new gateway for the port to the plains and a significant development in the history of the region.
New zealands first public railway was built to link christchurch and lyttelton, opening from christchurch to ferrymead in 1863 and then to lyttelton once the 2. Before then, all road traffic went over evans pass on the port hills. This view is of the entrance at heathcote, soon after the tunnel was opened. It was a significant development in the history of the region. Christchurchlyttelton road tunnel booklets more about the history of the tunnel can be found in the two booklets below. One was produced in 1964 to mark the official tunnel opening and the other was produced in 1956 and outlines the benefits of the proposed lyttelton tunnel. The lyttelton rail tunnel was officially opened for passenger traffic on 9 december 1867, taking less than seven minutes to make the trip through the hill section of the track. Tunnel history and facts waka kotahi nz transport agency. Lyttelton, sumner road, was badly damaged and has been closed.