National pledges $800m for Christchurch Northern Motorway extension

National has pledged $800 million to fully fund the Christchurch Northern Motorway extension in next year's budget if it leads the next government, with construction slated to begin in 2027. Transport spokesperson Chris Bishop announced the Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass, an 11-kilometre extension north of the Waimakariri River. The project aims to ease congestion on SH1, which carries 21,500 vehicles daily, and address a safety record of 280 crashes since 2014. The plan includes widening SH1 to four lanes, a new bypass, and intersection upgrades, projected to cut peak travel times by 10 minutes and reduce serious injuries by 78 percent. It follows National's separate $1.75 billion commitment to south Auckland's Mill Road.