The Harewood/Breens/Gardiners Rds intersection has been a political lightning rod at Christchurch City Council and has played a central role in the debate on the cost of cycleways.
A part of the wider Harewood Rd water main upgrades, the traffic lights will be turned on this week.
A signalised crossing was also installed at Harewood School and is operating.
The intersection and crossing signals have a $5.5 million combined budget, while the water main upgrade on Harris Cres, Waimakariri Rd and Whitchurch Pl has a budget of $4.9m.
Harewood Ward city councillor Aaron Keown said it is a great outcome for the community.
“It will kick the school year off great. The kids having better access to the school on foot or bike is fantastic.”
When Keown was first elected in 2016, installing the traffic lights was a key aspect of his campaign. “It’s been an incredibly long saga,” he said.
Demand for the lights became more prominent in 2017, especially when Keown delivered a petition from more than 1700 residents backing the intersection upgrade.
Harewood School has also been calling for the lights, wanting a safer crossing for pupils.
Disagreement on how to proceed with the upgrade has been rife among city councillors.
In an 11-6 vote, the traffic light upgrade was incorporated into the wider Wheels to Wings cycleway programme in July 2022 to help meet Government requirements for co-funding of the intersection.
Once the intersection upgrade was included in Wheels to Wings, it suffered the same delays and setbacks as the controversial cycle route.
Many nearby residents opposed the cycleway, citing the removal of car parks and lanes, harm to businesses and the cost.
Right-leaning city councillors backed delaying or scrapping the cycleway, while their left-leaning counterparts argued it was important to complete the citywide cycle network.
It all came to a head in December 2024, when city councillors voted by a narrow 9-8 margin to defer the delivery of Wheels to Wings after a $9.5m cost blowout up to $28.5m and the prospect of Government co-funding gone.
City councillors voted to separate the intersection upgrade from the wider programme and confirmed funding in last year’s annual plan.
