State Highway 76 (New Zealand)


State Highway 76 is a state highway in Christchurch, New Zealand. This highway was gazetted in 2012 after stage 1 of the Christchurch Southern Motorway was completed. Beforehand, much of SH 76 was part of SH 73 and included the former two-lane Christchurch Arterial Motorway, which was upgraded to four lanes. SH 76 includes the entire length of the Christchurch Southern Motorway and forms the most direct route from the south of Christchurch to the city centre and Lyttelton.

Route

The highway currently begins at a grade separated intersection with SH 74 on the northern approach to the Lyttelton road tunnel. It travels east to west through suburban Christchurch via Port Hills Road, Opawa Road and Brougham Street. This section of road used to be part of SH 73 and the speed limit is mostly. At the western end of Brougham Street at the Collins Street/Simeon Street lights, the Christchurch Southern Motorway commences. The speed limit here is. Midway up the motorway is the Curletts Road interchange, a major interchange where two state highways commence: SH 75 to Akaroa via Banks Peninsula and SH 73 to the West Coast via Arthur's Pass.
The motorway continues west until it reaches Halswell Junction Road where it ends at a roundabout intersection. SH 76 then continues in a north-west direction at a limit until it terminates at SH 1 in Islington, just west of Hornby.

Major intersections

Territorial authorityLocationkmjctDestinationsNotes
Christchurch CityFerrymead0
Lyttelton
SH 76 begins
Access to/from SH 74 southbound via Scruttons Road
Christchurch CityFerrymead0
Woolston, Linwood
SH 76 begins
Access to/from SH 74 southbound via Scruttons Road
Christchurch CityWaltham3 – Woolston, New BrightonSH 76/Christchurch Ring Road concurrency begins
Christchurch CityWaltham4Ensors Road
Christchurch CityWalthamOpawa Road
Christchurch CityWalthamWaltham Road – St Martins, City Centre
Christchurch CityWalthamBurlington Street – Spreydon
Gasson Street – City Centre
Christchurch CitySydenhamColombo StreetBeckenham, Cashmere, City Centre
Christchurch CitySydenhamDurham Street
Christchurch CitySydenhamStrickland Street – Beckenham
Antigua Street – City Centre
Christchurch CitySydenhamSelwyn Street
Christchurch CitySydenham8Barrington StreetAddington, CashmereChristchurch Southern Motorway begins
Christchurch CityMiddleton11 – Halswell, AkaroaSH 76/Christchurch Ring Road concurrency ends
Christchurch CityMiddleton11Upper Riccarton, Airport, West CoastSH 76/Christchurch Ring Road concurrency ends
Christchurch CityHornby South15Halswell Junction Road – HalswellChristchurch Southern Motorway ends
Christchurch CityHornby SouthSprings Road – Prebbleton, Lincoln, Sockburn
Christchurch CityHornby SouthShands Road – Leeston, Hornby, Picton
Christchurch CityIslington18Rolleston, Ashburton, Timaru
– Hornby, Airport, Belfast
SH 76 ends
Christchurch City----SH 76 ends
Christchurch City-----
Christchurch City-----
Christchurch City-----
Christchurch City-----

Future

As part of the government's Roads of National Significance, stage 2 of the Christchurch Southern Motorway is due to commence construction in October 2016. This will extend SH 76 to terminate with SH 1 further west near the intersection of Robinsons Road.