56-574: The Lyttelton road tunnel runs through the Port Hills to connect the New Zealand city of Christchurch and its seaport, Lyttelton . It opened in on 27 February 1964 and carries just over 10,000 vehicles per day as part of State Highway 74 . At 1,970 metres (6,460 ft), it was the longest road tunnel in New Zealand from its opening until 2 July 2017, when it was superseded by
112-501: A combination of a New Zealand contractor and an international contractor. As the Road Tunnel Authority had reserved the right to tile the tunnel surfaces if funds permitted, it decided to exercise this option and awarded a £1,947,748 contract which included tiling of the tunnel on 28 January 1961 to the lowest bidder, a 60/40 joint venture of New Zealand-owned Fletcher Construction and Kaiser Engineers and Constructors of
168-712: A population density of 1.6 people per km . Port Hills had a population of 72 at the 2018 New Zealand census , a decrease of 18 people (−20.0%) since the 2013 census , and a decrease of 12 people (−14.3%) since the 2006 census . There were 30 households, comprising 39 males and 33 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.18 males per female. The median age was 47.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 15 people (20.8%) aged under 15 years, 9 (12.5%) aged 15 to 29, 45 (62.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 6 (8.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 95.8% European/ Pākehā , 8.3% Asian , and 4.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
224-529: A range of hills in Canterbury Region of New Zealand, so named because they lie between the city of Christchurch and its port at Lyttelton . They are an eroded remnant of the Lyttelton volcano , which erupted millions of years ago. The hills start at Godley Head, run approximately east–west along the northern side of Lyttelton Harbour , and continue running to the south, dividing the city from
280-619: A road tunnel or canal, became the subject of considerable argument. In 1919 the Australian firm of Smith, Timms and Kidman offered to construct a road tunnel in three years for £700,000 or about £624,000 if the proposed tramline was eliminated, but the scheme lapsed. By 1920 the Christchurch-Lyttelton Tunnel Road League (which by 1922 had become the Port and City League) had been established to push for
336-588: A significant gesture of official backing. The resulting "Direct Access to the Sea Commission" concluded in July 1930 that they could not recommend the adoption of the proposals for either a road tunnel or a port at Christchurch as this would cause "serious hardship to traders and the farming community". The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce campaigned through the 1930s and 1940s for a road tunnel but without success until 1944, when Bill MacGibbon (deputy chairman of
392-504: Is near the eastern end of the Port Hills, was selected to connect Sumner and Lyttelton, and was completed in 1857 at a cost of £30,000. The Evan's Pass soon proved unsatisfactory as the transportation needs of the province increased, which lead to the construction of the rail tunnel which linked Lyttelton and Christchurch by 1867. At this time, Canterbury's total population was only 10,000. Two more road links, steeper and longer than
448-471: The 2011 Christchurch earthquake caused significant damage to Sumner Road on the Lyttelton side of the pass until reopening in 2019. Between Evans Pass and Dyers Pass are several significant summits, including Sugarloaf (494 m), recognisable by the television transmission tower on its summit; Mount Cavendish (448 m); and Tauhinukorokio / Mount Pleasant (499 m), the highest peak in the northern arc of
504-671: The Waterview Tunnels . While the tunnel itself was not damaged due to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake , the Heathcote tunnel canopy was destroyed. The nearby Tunnel Control Building — a Category I heritage building – suffered significant damage and was closed, before finally being demolished in 2013. Construction of a new control building was completed in 2014. When the first Europeans settled in Canterbury in
560-800: The Wellington East seat, and held it until 1946, when it was renamed Miramar . He then held Miramar until 1954, when he retired. In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal . Semple was a prolific user of "unparliamentary language" during his time as an MP, and was fond of insulting colleagues by calling or comparing them to Australian animals such as kookaburras , kangaroos and dingoes . During his term in Parliament, Semple held many important infrastructure portfolios, such as Minister of Public Works (1935–1941, 1942–1943) and Minister of Railways (1941–1949). Semple
616-438: The first , have been built; one which reaches Lyttelton via Dyers Pass by way of the head Lyttelton harbour at Governor's Bay, and an even longer one through Gebbie's Pass. In spite of its length, valuable heavy transport had to sometimes use Gebbie's Pass as frosts in winter could made the other two roads unsafe. The introduction of motor vehicles to New Zealand highlighted the need for a better road connection. Two alternatives,
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#1732794020742672-464: The 1850s with no deepwater ports available other than on Banks Peninsula , they had to transport their produce from the plains to Heathcote , near Sumner . From there it was taken by longboat and lighter around Lyttelton Heads to ships waiting in Lyttelton harbour. The only other route was via the Bridle Path that was constructed in 1850 and was used by the early European settlers as a route from
728-595: The Heathcote end of the tunnel. The distinctive building was given a New Zealand Historic Places Trust Category 1 listing in 2008. Cyclists are not allowed to use the tunnel, although for many years they were allowed to pass through on one day a year. For example, the 2001 tunnel ride was held in conjunction with the 3rd NZ Cycling Conference . However, since 2007 Christchurch buses have been equipped with bicycle carriers to allow cyclists access between Heathcote and Lyttelton. Port Hills The Port Hills ( Māori : Ngā Kohatu Whakarakaraka o Tamatea Pōkai Whenua ) are
784-636: The Lyttelton Harbour Board and prominent in the movement to build a tunnel) was able to convince the New Zealand government to allow the Ministry of Works to prepare plans. In April 1937, a conference convened by Canterbury Chamber of Commerce with the support of the Prime Minister Michael Savage , which had 28 public bodies in attendance, made a recommendation for the construction of a road tunnel. The advent of
840-402: The Port Hills presented a challenging barrier between the harbour and the planned settlement of Christchurch, their steepness and ruggedness making access extremely difficult. For many years the majority of settlers used the precipitous Bridle Path to transport themselves and their belongings to the plains on the other side. Today the Lyttelton road tunnel and a separate rail tunnel connect
896-403: The Port Hills varies somewhat in height, being lowest at the eastern (seaward) end. Two road passes traverse the Port Hills from Christchurch. Dyers Pass (elevation c. 330 m), almost due south of central Christchurch is the more prominent of the two passes. Evans Pass (elevation c. 200 m), which is near the eastern end of the Port Hills, normally connects Sumner and Lyttelton but was closed since
952-1121: The Port Hills. Native birds such as the bellbird ( korimako or koparara ) fantail , silvereye , grey warbler and shining cuckoo are commonly found in the remaining bush. While the wood pigeon often seen in the area is a native to New Zealand others, such as the common blackbird , common chaffinch and song thrush are introduced and very populous species. As well as a great many insect species, gecko and skink are commonly found. Indigenous plant species such as Banks Peninsula hebe inhabit rock crevices along with rare ferns . The more exposed hillsides are covered with silver tussock and other native grasses , unusually so for an area so close to urban development. The remaining podocarp forest contains 500- to 600-year-old mataī , tōtara and kahikatea trees as well as fruit and flowering species such as kōwhai , ribbonwood , māhoe , cabbage trees , kānuka and fuchsia . 43°35′24″S 172°41′24″E / 43.59000°S 172.69000°E / -43.59000; 172.69000 Bob Semple Robert Semple (21 October 1873 – 31 January 1955)
1008-494: The Port Hills. West of Dyers Pass, the Port Hills curve away southward and become even higher, rising to 573 m at Coopers Knob . From Coopers Knob the crater rim descends to Gebbies Pass (elevation c. 160 m). The hills south and east of Gebbies Pass are regarded as part of Banks Peninsula proper rather than the Port Hills. Several suburbs of Christchurch extend onto the northern slopes of the Port Hills, including Cashmere , Mt Pleasant , Heathcote Valley and Sumner. Other parts of
1064-711: The Second World War, however, put a stop to all but essential construction projects. In 1943, a conference attended by 19 public bodies resulted in the establishment of a Tunnel Road Promotion Committee. In 1944 the Minister of Works, Bob Semple , met deputations from both the Tunnel Road Promotion Committee and the Canal League. He considered that the canal scheme, then estimated to cost £5,000,000, had no hope of success, whereas he
1120-557: The United States of America. In addition, a motorway was to be built from Ferry Road to the Heathcote Underpass near the Heathcote portal, a distance of some 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (5 km). This required the construction of bridges over the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River and the Lyttelton railway line, an interchange and underpass system at the bottom of Horotane Valley. This work cost approximately £530,000 and
1176-719: The blacklist Semple moved to the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. By 1907 he was president of the Runanga Miner's Union and earned himself nickname 'Fighting Bob Semple'. He was jailed in 1913 for supporting the general strike and again in 1916 after fighting conscription for overseas service during World War I. Semple served as the President of the Labour Party from 1926 to 1928. Semple
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#17327940207421232-465: The building of a tunnel. There was also a Port Christchurch League which advocated for a port at the estuary of the Heathcote and Avon rivers. Sir Joseph Ward, Prime Minister and Minister of Railways in 1929, arranged a Government grant of £1,000 to the Port and City League, to set up a commission to investigate the matter provided; a similar sum was raised by the League. This was regarded by the League as
1288-642: The consultant's fee of the Ministry of Works and loan interest during construction were included the total cost (excluding the motorway) was £2.7 million. On the first night that cars were allowed through the queue stretched from the tunnel, down Ferry Rd and into Barbadoes Street as far back as the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch. When the tunnel officially opened on 27 February 1964 by Governor-General Sir Bernard Fergusson it
1344-505: The driving of the main tunnel by allowing a more effective cutting, reducing the amount of explosives being used and more quickly clearing the smoke and flumes after blasting. It was found necessary to support with steel framework only 8% of the tunnel due to unstable ground conditions. In all other areas, either rock bolts or a combination of steel mesh and sprayed concrete were used to restrain potential loose rock. A total of 1,400 rock bolts were used. Despite being delayed by wet weather at
1400-410: The first shot' to officially signal work on the tunnel took place on 9 September 1961. Within a short time the tunnel was progressing at a rate of 23.2 ft (7.1 m) per day, working three shifts, six days a week. The tunnellers received a basic hourly wage of 7s −2d per hour. Despite the use of water exhaust scrubbers on the diesel-powered excavation equipment it was still found necessary improve
1456-548: The harbour upgrades, approval was given in March 1960 for the raising of a loan of £3,250,000. So far £2,652,330 had been raised, most of it in parcels at 4.875% and 5%. With the design and specifications completed by August 1960 the MOW called for tenders to undertake the project, which as a result of their detailed design they estimated would cost £3,500,000. The contract called for the work to be priced on linear footage basis, which put
1512-464: The harbour. The range terminates near Gebbies Pass above the head of the harbour. The range includes a number of summits between 300 and 500 metres above sea level. The range is of significant geological, environmental and scenic importance. The volcano is one of two from which Banks Peninsula was originally formed 12 million years ago. The area was first populated by Māori during the 14th century. During early European settlement some 500 years later
1568-616: The hills are used for farming and forestry, as well as a significant number of scenic reserves created for recreational and conservation purposes, following an initiative by Christchurch councillor Harry Ell at the turn of the 20th century. In 1948 the Summit Road Scenic Society was formed to continue development and maintenance of the reserves. The hills are an important recreation area for Christchurch residents, with several public parks and reserves, including tracks for mountain biking and walking. A gondola lift to
1624-633: The member of parliament for Fendalton in Christchurch and also more critically prime minister, sponsored the Christchurch-Lyttelton Road Tunnel Bill, which established a seven-man authority to construct and control a road tunnel with authority to raise the raise loan, construct the tunnel and pay back the loan by levying tolls. The bill was subsequently passed into law in October 1956 with the Government guarantying
1680-463: The onus on the contract bidders to determine the likely ground conditions, which would impact on how long it would take to dig the tunnel. Fortunately, the records from the construction of the rail tunnel between 1861 and 1867 were still available. Tenders were received in January 1961 for building the tunnel from seven companies, the prices varying from £1,770,431 to £3,774,117, with all but two being
1736-487: The plant to the tunnel. Over 45,000 cubic yards (34,405 cubic metres) of concrete were placed within the tunnel with a further 4,500 cubic yards (3,440 cubic metres) placed outside. After the tunnel's concrete walls had been sandblasted they were lined with 306,000 sq ft of tiles imported from overseas using a newly invented epoxy glue made by Fletcher industries using technology sourced from the Australian company of A C Horn. Ventilation buildings were constructed at both ends of
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1792-479: The port and the city suburbs, and three road routes crossing the range – via Evans, Dyers and Gebbies passes – are connected by the Summit Road. In February 2017, bush fires in the Port Hills burned for days, destroying over 2000 Ha of bush and several homes. The Port Hills are a prominent feature of the central Canterbury landscape, being visible for many kilometres from the north and west. The crest of
1848-407: The port to new settlements on the northern side of the Port Hills . Although very steep, it was the only means of traversing the hills. In 1851 a Select Committee enquired into the best means of access to the sea. Among the options a road tunnel was considered and rejected, one reason being that horses would catch cold coming from the hot plains into a cold tunnel. Instead a road via Evans Pass which
1904-559: The proposed portal areas to locate bedrock. Various options were considered with an early tunnel design having a width of 37 ft (11 m), consisting of a 24 ft (7.3 m) wide roadway with a 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) wide cycle track on either side. As the cycle tracks were estimated to raise the cost by £500,000 they were dropped. The final design called for a 24 ft (7.3 m) wide roadway with 2 ft (0.61 m) wide kerbs on either side for use by maintenance personnel and to assist in keeping motor vehicles from scrapping
1960-489: The repayment of any loans raised by the Road Tunnel Authority. By 1956 the MOW estimated the project would cost £2.515 million. The Ministry of Works and Development (MOW) were appointed as consulting engineers to the Road Tunnel Authority; with the assistance of the Civil Engineering Department of Canterbury University they began the design of the road tunnel. A drilling programme was carried out in
2016-402: The start of the work the excavation of the tunnel was completed on 18 August 1962, within both the time and budget. Work moved to concreting the interior of the tunnel. Concrete for the tunnel was supplied from a temporary concrete mixing plant established by Certified Concrete on a rail siding 2 mi (3.22 km) from the tunnel portal. A minimum of four agitator trucks conveyed concrete from
2072-553: The top of Mount Cavendish was opened in 1992, providing convenient access to the summit and a major tourist attraction for the Canterbury area. The Christchurch Adventure Park was opened in 2016 which provides mountain biking opportunities on the slopes of Worsleys Hill. Road cycling is also very popular on the Port Hills with "short bays" and "long bays" being two of the most popular longer routes. The statistical area of Port Hills covers 44.46 km (17.17 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 70 as of June 2024, with
2128-411: The tunnel from the Heathcote end. Fletcher-Kaiser employed Burnett Motors of Ashburton and Isaac Construction of Christchurch to excavate the 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 -mile-long (2 km) approach road to the tunnel from the nearest road at the bottom of the Heathcote valley. Work on digging the tunnel had been underway for a month with 180 ft (55 m) excavated by the time the ceremonial 'firing of
2184-503: The tunnel in each of which were located one fresh-air and one exhaust fan, both 12 ft (3.7 m) in diameter. The final price awarded to Fletchers and Kaiser including all variations was £2,112,542, 8.5% above the original contract award though it took four years before the Road Tunnel Authority paid it all. By the time the purchase of property, construction of the Lyttelton Tunnel Control Building,
2240-465: The tunnel opened then there would be insufficient freight moving through the tunnel in its early years to generate the toll revenue need to service the loan. After the sending of a deputation to the Prime Minister (Walter Nash) and the Minister of Finance (Arnold Nordmeyer) and then a written assurance from the Road Tunnel Authority that the tunnel would not be completed prior to the completion of
2296-536: The tunnel walls. Following discussions about the route and the width of the tunnel which allowed finalisation of the estimated cost the newly created Road Tunnel Authority under the chairmanship of Bill MacGibbon (ca. 1891 – 1962) applied to the Local Authorities Loans Board in 1959 for approval to raise a loan, only for it to be turned down. The reason given was that if the planned new harbour facilities at Lyttelton were not available before
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2352-425: The tunnel was closed to northbound traffic due a landslide in bad weather conditions. The tunnel was also closed temporarily following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and subsequent aftershocks to allow for structural integrity inspections to take place. Service generally resumed within 20 minutes of each aftershock. The tunnel was again closed following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake . The tunnel canopy
2408-553: The tunnel's operation and maintenance was constructed and completed in June 2014. A community celebration was held on 31 August 2014 to jointly open the new Lyttelton Tunnel Control Building and commemorate the tunnel's 50th anniversary. To manage the operation and maintenance of the tunnel the Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration building designed by Christchurch architect Peter Beaven was constructed at
2464-434: The tunnel. Whereas the law had previously required that when digging tunnels that all workings were opened from each end and that no internal combustion engines could be used within the tunnel, the 1960 Quarries Act allowed a diesel engine fitted with scrubbers to be used and had no requirement for the workings to be open end to end. Having identified that it was more advantageous than digging from Lyttelton, Fletchers-Kaiser dug
2520-406: The ventilation by locating near the rock face two 200 hp 5 ft 6 in diameter fans capable of exhausting 100,000 cubic feet per hour via a flexible 6 ft (1.8 m) diameter flexible plastic pipe to the portal. Although by the time the tunnel having reached the 60% point it was found that the clearing of flumes and smoke was becoming a problem. Despite the use of several auxiliary fans it
2576-427: Was $ 50,300, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 18 people (31.6%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 30 (52.6%) people were employed full-time, 9 (15.8%) were part-time, and 3 (5.3%) were unemployed. Despite the heavy deforestation and clearance of native bush that took place during early settlement, a diverse range of wildlife and plant life populates
2632-407: Was 20.8, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.3% had no religion, 20.8% were Christian , 4.2% were Hindu , 4.2% were Buddhist and 8.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 24 (42.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 3 (5.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
2688-571: Was a Category I listed heritage building and one of the youngest buildings recognised by the trust. Following its demolition as a result of damage sustained in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, a new control building, constructed to 180% of the Building Code to withstand future earthquakes, was completed in 2014 at a cost of $ 1.5 million. As of 2010, the tunnel has an AADT (average daily traffic volume) of 10,755 vehicles/day, of which 12.3% are heavy goods vehicles . In August 2008,
2744-498: Was a member of the Wellington City Council for a decade between 1925 and 1935. In 1935 he unsuccessfully stood for Mayor of Wellington , coming runner-up to Thomas Hislop . His wife Margaret was also a Wellington City Councillor from 1938 to 1941. Semple was elected to the seat of Wellington South Parliament for Labour in a 1918 by-election , but lost the seat in the 1919 general election . In 1928 he won
2800-644: Was a union leader and later Minister of Public Works for the first Labour Government of New Zealand. He is also known for creating the Bob Semple tank . He was born in Sofala, New South Wales , Australia. He started working at an early age as gold miner in Australia. In 1903 he was involved in a miner's strike in Victoria , Australia. The strike was defeated and Semple ended up being blacklisted. To avoid
2856-400: Was found necessary to drive a small 7 ft (2.1 m) by 4 ft (1.2 m) ventilation tunnel for the Lyttelton end to connect with the main heading. Once the connection had been made at the 1,160 ft (350 m) from the Heathcote end one of the main ventilation fans was moved to the Lyttelton end. Despite the cost of driving the ventilation tunnel, it was found that it speeded up
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#17327940207422912-604: 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. 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. The original Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building , designed by Christchurch architect Peter Beaven ,
2968-535: Was paid for by the National Roads Board. The contract specified the project had to be completed within three years, irrespective of whether the tunnel was fully lined with tiles or not. With it expected to take six months to import the equipment and material and establish on site, then allowing nine months at the end of the schedule to tile the tunnel, Fletcher-Kaiser's project manager Jack (J.G.) Smith estimated they only had 21 months to dig and concrete
3024-603: Was seen by many as the public face of the first Labour government's infrastructure investment. He reshaped the Public Works Department by resuming its original function as the development arm of the government by phasing out its focus on relief work from the Great Depression . During World War II he had built the ' Bob Semple tank ', made from corrugated iron and a tractor base. The tank had numerous design flaws and other practical problems and
3080-457: Was severely damaged by rockfall and was demolished within days. Following initial engineers' inspection the tunnel reopened to emergency vehicles later the same day. Access was limited to Lyttelton residents only from 26 February before fully reopening. The Tunnel Control Building was also badly damaged and deemed unfit for occupation. It was subsequently demolished in early 2013, and a new purpose-built Lyttelton Tunnel Control Building for managing
3136-416: Was very favourably impressed with the road tunnel scheme, then estimated to cost £750,000. Progress was still slow though in June 1949 a Gazette notice was issued authorising the construction of a motorway as a tunnel road. This was followed in 1952 by a survey defining the limits of the land required. The years following the end of the Second World War saw no further progress until in 1953 Sidney Holland ,
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