Council hits the accelerator on Rolleston ring-road roundabout

Selwyn's mayor has her "fingers crossed for co-funding" for a $5.3 million road project, which is moving ahead sooner than planned.

Selwyn District Council has approved plans to put the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Springston-Rolleston Road and Selwyn Road in Rolleston out to tender, bringing the project forward one year at its meeting on Wednesday.

The council faces funding the estimated $5.37m project on its own, using $967,729 (18%) of development contributions and debt covering the rest ($4,408,543), if an application for NZTA co-funding isn't successful.

NZTA co-funding would cover 51% ($2.74m) of the project, reducing Selwyn's requirement for debt funding to $1.66m.

Head of capital works David Spriggs said the request was about going to the market to get tenders, not awarding a contract, and signalling the money would be available to make a stronger push for co-funding.

"There's a lot of indicators that NZTA may see co-funding as being favourable if we can build things this year."

Gliddon said it was about going out to the market to put a price on the project and then "hopefully hear from NZTA".

"Historically we've had some success in making sure that we have projects ready to go when we're at the end of a three-year land transport program to clean up the scraps of what's left of what [projects] people haven't done.

"Fingers crossed for co-funding."

If the funding doesn't come, Gliddon told Local Democracy Reporting a decision on progressing as a solely council-funded project will depend on the tender price.

A roundabout was identified as the preferred option to improve the intersection following previous NZ Transport Agency Road to Zero safety reviews and planning for the Selwyn Road arterial corridor.

The project had been deferred from the 2026/27 annual plan with a budget of $4.68m.

Cr Aaron McGlinchy said based on crash data, the Shands Road intersection with Springston-Rolleston Road "seems to be a far more dangerous intersection" and questioned why the Selwyn Rd intersection had been prioritised.

Spriggs said the project fits in with the "big picture of developing a sort of a ring road type around Rolleston".

"The focus to date has been more around the State Highway 1 end. Now this is moving towards trying to create the loop around the southern end of Rolleston as well to be able to join it all up."

NZTA has been working on a $200m Rolleston connectivity roading programme, a series of council and NZTA projects aimed at improving links between Rolleston's residential areas, town centre, SH1, and industrial areas as the town grows.

The first stage of the project is complete, adding a roundabout at the SH1/Dunns Crossing Road and Walkers Road intersection, along with upgrades at the Weedons interchange – the two corners of the ring road.

Stage two is now underway with the SH1 flyover.

There has also been road widening and realignments on Two Chain, Jones and Hoskyns roads.

Further roundabouts are planned at the intersections of Selwyn Road and Lincoln-Rolleston Road/Weedons Road, and Selwyn Road and Dunns Crossing Road.

Cr Tracey Macleod took the opportunity to point out that development contributions were only covering 18% of a project related to increased traffic flows from the population increase in Rolleston and Lincoln.

"This is why we have to borrow, because growth doesn't pay for growth."