In case you missed this in The Press (abridged version)

Long-awaited upgrades to one of Christchurch’s busiest roads are on hold after the Government unveiled new funding plans.

The Brougham St (SH76) upgrade was due to start later this year, but now only its “pre-implementation” is guaranteed funding.

The move has outraged city leaders, who say Christchuch has been forgotten.

Brougham St is used by an average of 45,000 vehicles each day, including 4500 freight vehicles and trucks.

It is also a key connection - and pinch point - for Christchurch’s Southern Motorway.

Originally slated to be a $40 million project, the price tag for its revamp later increased to $90m.

It includes a pedestrian and cycle bridge connecting Collins St and Simeon St, dedicated lanes for carpooling, buses and motorcycles, intersection improvements and a shared pedestrian-cycle path.

On Monday, Simeon Brown announced a new category of roading projects - roads of regional significance, to “sit alongside” the previous National government’s roads of national significance approach, which would replace the NZUP, which he said had been “severely mismanaged by the previous government”.

“Similar to (roads of national significance), roads of regional significance will single out essential routes that require prioritisation.”

Two projects from the NZUP roster will be incorporated into the roads of national significance category, but to ensure delivery of those projects, “difficult decisions” were made to keep costs within the existing $6.5billion funding, Brown said.

“We have made clear to NZTA that it must deliver these projects within the existing funding envelope, as there will be no additional Crown funding,” Brown said.

This has relegated two other projects - the Brougham Street upgrades and State Highway 22 Drury - to be funded only as far as “pre-implementation,” with any further Crown funding only available “subject to the completion of other projects in delivery and procurement,” Brown said.

Heathcote ward Councillor Sara Templeton said it seemed that Christchurch was “completely forgotten” in the Government’s roading and public transport plans.

“It’s really clear the current government is prioritising major state highways in the North Island over any transport enhancements in the South Island which would help residents get around our city.”

She said pedestrian safety was the key aspect of the Brougham St project, especially for Addington Primary Te Kura Taumatua, which had been among members of the community lobbying for improved safety crossing Brougham St for many years.

“It’s an area that’s really dangerous, and there’s a fully designed pedestrian and cycle bridge that would both make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists as well as meaning cars wouldn’t have to stop for the pedestrian lights all the time.”

“I’d be gutted if that part of the project was canned.”

Templeton said she was still awaiting information from NZTA on what exactly the government’s announcement would mean.