Media Release

14 May 2012

Woodham Road Reopened

Around 60 North Linwood residents, nearby workers and contracting staff celebrated the reopening of an important stretch of Woodham Road this morning. The road and pipes under it were damaged in the earthquakes, particularly after the June quake, and the road has been closed to traffic since.

“You are the ones who have felt the vibrations as this challenging project got underway, ” said Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) General Manager Infrastructure Richard MacGeorge.

“This reopening will benefit all of Christchurch,” he said. He commended residents and contractors for all their hard work to get the project completed.

Work began on the $4 million pipe replacement project on June 16 with MacDow Fletcher as the lead Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) contractor. March Construction was the subcontractor.

David Larcombe, MacDow Fletcher project engineer, thanked the residents who had rallied to keep lines of communication open. He also thanked the designers for their work on the project, one of the biggest of its kind in New Zealand, he said.

The residents most affected by the work, Carleen and John Whitcombe, cut the ribbon reopening the road. They have lived in their home since 1965. John Whitcombe paid tribute to the March Construction team, noting how co-operative they had been. The couple lost their front lawn, hedge and privacy while the collapsed wastewater pipe was replaced and re-routed outside their new fence. For many weeks, work was occurring within two metres of the Whitcombes’ dining room window. They are now looking forward to rebuilding their driveway and garden.

Across the road, Bev and Jim Sparkes were also glad to see the road reopen. Like the Whitcombes, they moved into Woodham Road when it was a new subdivision in the 1960s. Neighbour Kay Tainui is also looking forward to a smooth pathway to her driveway now the road cones are packed away.

Notes : Woodham Road was closed to traffic while the earthquake-damaged northern and southern confluence trunk wastewater pipe was replaced. The project involved sheet piling and excavation of a substantial 130 metre long, six metre by six metre wide trench, the bypassing of the old trunk wastewater pipe which carried 40% of the city’s wastewater volume with a 1.2 metre diameter temporary pipe, and lastly the replacement of the damaged trunk wastewater with a 1.8 metre diameter plastic pipe, the largest of its type to be used in New Zealand. For background on the Woodham Road work so far see:

http://strongerchristchurch.govt.nz/article/recreating-history-in-woodham-road

http://strongerchristchurch.govt.nz/work/activity/901

ENDS

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