SH1 opening an achievement

The coastal road from Christchurch to Picton was always one of New Zealand’s great drives and the bit that everyone loved the most on a clear day was the winding stretch around Kaiko¯ura when the glittering sea was just metres away.

We lost that after the earthquake in November 2016 and made do with a longer, more difficult route through the middle of the South Island as State Highway 1 was repaired.

But we have become so used to making do in Canterbury since 2010 that the inconvenience almost felt like business as usual or the dreaded new normal.

No matter how you see the bigger picture, there is no question that the reopening of State Highway 1 north of Kaiko¯ura is a milestone.

It is also an impressive logistical achievement after a December 15 deadline was set nearly four months ago to ensure the road is open before the Christmas tourist season.

Hundreds of drivers lined up on each side before the road officially reopened yesterday afternoon.

Sealing work was being finished right up to the last minute and some parts remain unfinished with the road closed at night so that seawalls can be completed.

This creates an unofficial tourism curfew.

About 1700 crew members worked long hours throughout the year in both hot and cold conditions and were only able to start properly in February.

Transport Agency earthquake recovery manager Tim Crow believed that the building of the 144-metre Irongate bridge in just 14 weeks is close to a record.

An unusually wet winter and spring made the deadline even tougher and heavy rain caused slips on the highway and railway line.

Delays, budget blow-outs and other problems have become so commonplace that a successful and even inspirational building project feels like a rarity.

But the urgency of the repair was vital given the economic importance of the route between Christchurch and Picton and the value of summer tourism to Kaiko¯ura itself.

Cycle tourism is set to become a growing activity, which makes it slightly disappointing that the proposed Coastal Pacific Trail from Marlborough to Christchurch is not more advanced.

As a kind of northern mirror to the Otago Central Rail Trail, it will be a valuable addition to tour- ism infrastructure and will support earthquake-affected communities as previous transport minister Simon Bridges realised when he announced funding for an 11-kilometre cycle and walkway from Okiwi Bay to Mangamaunu in July.

The new Government has emphasised a commitment to cycle trails in general, and says the trail is still on the agenda.

But before the bikes can move, the trucks and cars must get through.

This week’s highway opening is the third in a series of milestones that have been delivered within a tight timeframe, after the reopening of the rail link in September and Kaiko¯ura harbour in November.

To achieved all three within a year is a remarkable feat.

People in Christchurch who have waited up to six years to see convention centres, performing arts precincts and east frames magically appear in empty lots can only look on enviously.