Levi Road Intersection Upgrade

Improving safety and traffic flow on a key Rolleston intersection, supporting growing traffic volumes and access to a new commercial development.

Client: Selwyn District Council
Location: Rolleston, Christchurch
Services: Geotechnical engineeringSurveyingStructural engineeringCivil engineeringEnvironmentalPlanning and resource management
Status: Ongoing

The Brief

We were engaged to help improve safety and traffic flow for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists at the Levi Road intersection, a key arterial route into the growing Rolleston township. The upgrade also needed to support access to a new Foodstuffs South Island commercial development.

Challenges Identified

Located where Levi Road, Lowes Road, Lincoln Rolleston Road and Masefield Drive meet, the upgrade needed to respond to growing traffic demands within a highly trafficked area.

A key challenge was the tight timeline, with the initial concept design expected at the end of June 2024 following a May tender for the project. The design needed to enable large trucks to manoeuvre safely, and the works required removing a significant hedge, relocating services and resolving clashes with existing infrastructure. A further challenge was managing flood risk on an adjacent lower-lying site.

What We Did

A Developer Agreement between Foodstuffs and Selwyn District Council established how project costs would be shared, including new lane layouts for safe vehicle access, improved traffic queuing, traffic lights, signalised pedestrian crossings, dedicated cycle lanes, and road frontage upgrades and access for the new supermarket.

Working alongside Abley, who developed the concept design, we were responsible for the detailed design, project management and construction monitoring for Council. Our multidisciplinary team provided additional expertise, including pavement design, CAD, stormwater design, geotechnical engineering and surveying.

Key Deliverables

Worked closely with the client and service providers, drawing on experience from the Shands Road Intersection Upgrade, to help keep the project on track

Secured an extension for the initial design to support delivery under a tight programme

Used structural asphalt (AC) to reduce excavation and minimise interaction with buried services

Collaborated with Foodstuffs’ designers with the onsite supermarket civil works, including implementing a sump to mitigate flood risk

Provided regular drone footage to keep the client and subsequently the community updated

From Friday 4 April to Monday 7 April 2025, the road was closed to expedite the resurfacing, footpath completion, traffic light installation and landscaping. This concentrated effort aimed to reduce the project's duration by approximately three weeks, and the project remains on track for completion.