Lyttelton Tunnel has reopened after being closed for inspection this morning following a sharp aftershock in the wake of Saturday's devastating Canterbury earthquake.
NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) state highways operations manager Peter Connors said the tunnel was closed shortly after the 5.1 aftershock that struck at 7.50am to allow safety checks to be carried out for possible damage.
He said an initial assessment of the tunnel had revealed that while some superficial damage had been sustained the tunnel remained structurally sound and safe for use.
The tunnel links the city of Christchurch to its seaport.