Springston-Rolleston Roundabout Secures 51% NZTA Funding

Selwyn District Council will borrow less for a $4.7 million intersection upgrade after the New Zealand Transport Agency agreed to fund 51% of the construction cost. The project, located at Springston-Rolleston Road and Selwyn Road, was brought back into this year's program to capture available funds from the end of the three-year land transport funding cycle.

Mayor Lydia Gliddon confirmed the agency has agreed to the funding arrangement. This contribution, combined with $967,729 in development contributions, reduces the amount the council must raise through borrowing. The project was previously deferred from the 2026/27 annual plan. The council anticipated that NZTA would have residual funds from unfinished projects elsewhere, so they moved the timeline forward in September.

The council selected a roundabout as the preferred improvement following safety reviews by the NZ Transport Agency. Head of capital works David Spriggs explained that traffic signals are rarely effective for the types of accidents common at this intersection. He noted that around 80% of crashes involve drivers turning right or left. Spriggs stated that traffic signals do not address these turning crashes effectively. He argued that installing signals now would likely result in high spending without a better safety record.

Spriggs said a roundabout forces drivers to slow down because they cannot drive straight through the intersection. The design also directs driver attention to vehicles approaching from the right. This mechanism helps reduce crashes involving turning movements.

The construction is more complex than simply paving and painting. Infrastructure and property executive director Tim Mason noted that the site's space and surrounding infrastructure require a road realignment. The work includes new road layouts, pavements, and underground infrastructure. Mason said this includes piping the stormwater race and building the roundabout itself. Cost estimates will be refined as the design process continues.

NZTA is funding the construction phase, which is expected to cost $4.7 million. Work is scheduled to begin in January and finish by the end of June. Mason said the projected budget is lower than recent roundabouts on Shands Road. The two most recent Shands Road roundabouts cost $10.5 million at Hamptons Road and $7.4 million at Trent's Road. Both of those projects also received 51% NZTA funding and 7% development contributions.

The intersection upgrade is part of a wider strategy to manage increasing traffic volumes in Rolleston. Spriggs identified traffic growth as the primary driver for the intersection improvement. In September, he described the project as fitting a broader plan to develop a ring road around Rolleston. This plan is part of a $200 million Rolleston connectivity roading program.

The program aims to improve links between residential areas, the town center, State Highway 1, and industrial zones. The first stage is complete, adding a roundabout at the SH1/Dunns Crossing Road and Walkers Road intersection and upgrading the Weedons interchange. Stage two is currently underway, featuring the SH1 flyover and road widening on Two Chain, Jones, and Hoskyns roads.

Further roundabouts are planned for the intersections of Selwyn Road and Lincoln-Rolleston Road/Weedons Road, and Selwyn Road and Dunns Crossing Road. The new Springston-Rolleston project fits within this ongoing network development as the town grows.