Isaac Construction has been awarded the contract to deliver the next stage of Te Ara O-Rakipaoa — the Nor'West Arc cycleway — in Christchurch, with work expected to begin on site in late May. The project covers all of Matsons Avenue and Chapel Street, along with a short section of Harewood Road between Harris Crescent and the railway crossing.

The new works form part of the northernmost section of the Nor'West Arc and are part of a broader Northwest programme of water and roading upgrades that got underway in January. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2026.

Once finished, Te Ara O-Rakipaoa will provide a continuous cycling and active travel corridor connecting Cashmere in the south to Papanui in the north, passing through Spreydon, Middleton, Riccarton, and Ilam. The entire route is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2027.

The project forms one of 13 major cycleway routes across Christchurch, part of a city-wide network designed to provide safe and direct cycling connections between suburbs, schools, shopping centres, and the central city.

Separately, Christchurch City Council's transport team confirmed that major upgrade works on Lincoln Road — installing peak-hour bus lanes and renewing water and wastewater services — which began in April, continue to progress on schedule.

Council transport spokesperson Andrea Taunton said the investment in active travel infrastructure was being driven by steadily rising cycling numbers across the city, with monitoring data showing year-on-year increases in bicycle trips on the completed route sections. Residents in the Ilam and Harewood areas were advised to expect traffic management changes while construction is underway and were asked to allow extra travel time, particularly around the airport.

"Te Ara O-Rakipaoa will connect cyclists from Cashmere to Papanui, via Spreydon, Middleton, Riccarton and Ilam, once complete." — Christchurch City Council project summary