Lyttelton Tunnel assessment continuing

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) advises that assessment of the Lyttelton is continuing and no decision on re-opening the tunnel is likely until early afternoon.

The tunnel was closed shortly after the aftershock that struck at 7.50am this morning to allow safety checks to be carried out for possible damage.

NZTA Canterbury State Highways Operations Manager Peter Connors says the team working on this safety assessment are working hard to provide a preliminary report on possible damage as soon as possible.

“We are working quickly but as the safety of road users is our number one priority, we need to ensure that the assessment is thorough and provides an accurate picture of the situation. We ask people to be patient while this work is carried out.”

Peter Connors says around 1,000 cars an hour use the tunnel at this time of day, but there are no reports of tunnel users being injured or vehicle damage as a result of the aftershock.

A detour to Lyttelton is available via Sumner and Evans Pass, or via Dyers Road. Meanwhile, State Highway 74 remains closed due to earthquake damage. A detour using local roads is for light vehicles. All heavy commercial vehicles travelling to the Port of Lyttelton are asked to detour via SH 1 Johns Road to SH73 Yaldhurst Road and Brougham Street.

Up to dated information Canterbury state highways including the Lyttelton Tunnel can be found at www.highwayinfo.govt.nz or by phoning 0800 44 44 49.

For further information on the situation on the ground in Christchurch visit the council’s earthquake information page at http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/ or http://www.metroinfo.co.nz/.