2 weeks Ago
The group gathered at the intersection of the Heathcote Expressway and Scruttons Rd after KiwiRail told Christchurch City Council it must close a 1.5km section of the cycleway after a safety assessment found a nearby rail crossing posed a risk of serious injury or death once every thousand years. Banks Peninsula MP Vanessa Weenink told the crowd the proposed closure was one of the "stupidest things" she has ever heard.
Heathcote Ward city councillor Sara Templeton said she hoped KiwiRail withdraw its request before the council makes its final decision on Tuesday. "I think this is the first time in Otauhahi's history that the community is rallying and railing against the closure of a cycleway instead of the building of one." The upgrades to the Scruttons Rd level crossing are estimated to cost $6.
5 million and could take up to two years. Heathcote residents Sooze Harris and Karla Osmers organised Saturday's protest to highlight the frustration felt by many in the community. Photo: Geoff Sloan "We disagree with what's happening.
"We can't see any commonsense in the decision. "The cycleway doesn't pass over a railway line, but KiwiRail is saying it's unsafe. "I do understand that some cyclists may have to cross the railway line, but actually for using the pathway, they don't have to.
" She claims the Heathcote Expressway, which opened a year ago, is the only safe cycle route out of Heathcote Valley. Heathcote resident Barbara Brown uses the route every day. "I access it via the Scruttons Road railway crossing.
If it closes, I have to go to Chapman's Road. It's an industrial area with lots of trucks, far more dangerous." A council survey revealed an average of 51 pedestrians and cyclists cross the tracks on Fridays and Saturdays.
Council transport planning and delivery manager Jacob Bradbury says the railway line was one of the busiest in the South Island, with about 35 trains using the double tracks each day. He said the council has been working with KiwiRail on options to avoid closing the expressway, while KiwiRail told Weenink last week that it would “go away and review the decision”. - By Geoff Sloan, made with the support of NZ On Air.
