New Zealand State Highway 75

State Highway 75
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length:	78 km (48 mi)
Major junctions
Northwest end:	Curletts Road/Christchurch Southern Motorway at Christchurch
Southeast end:	Rue Lavaud at Akaroa
Location
Primary destinations:	Halswell, Tai Tapu, Motukarara, Birdling's Flat, Little River, Cooptown, Duvauchelle, Takamatua
Highway system
New Zealand State Highways Motorways and Expressways • List • Unused ← SH 74 SH  x20px →

State Highway 75 is a State Highway in New Zealand servicing the Banks Peninsula region, connecting Christchurch on the northwestern part of the peninsula with Akaroa towards the east coast. It is wholly two lane (with the exception of some passing lanes near Hilltop), but partially functions as a major arterial corridor of Christchurch. Its highest point is at Hilltop, where it rises to about 555 m - just 8 m lower than the more mountainous Haast Pass in the Southern Alps.

Route

As of May 2010, this is the current route of the highway:

The highway currently begins at the intersection of Curletts Road and Christchurch Southern Motorway (both SH 73). Currently at-grade, this is being upgraded to a roundabout interchange. At Curletts Road, the road proceeds as a short expressway to the southeast until it reaches the intersection of Hoon Hay Road and Halswell Road. SH 75 turns right onto Halswell Road, and continues in a southwesterly direction until it just passes the settlement of Halswell.

Now known Tai Tapu Road, the road skirts the outer edges of Banks Peninsula while passing through arable farmland to reach the settlement of Tai Tapu. The road then changes name to Christchurch Akaroa Highway while continuing to skirt between Lake Ellesmere and the hills until Birdling's Flat, where it turns sharply into the hills of Banks Peninsula while hugging the shore of Lake Forsyth. The road proceeds through Western Valley to Little River and Cooptown.

After Cooptown, the road then begins to climb in a zigzag fashion towards Hilltop Saddle, which is frequently covered under snow during winter cold fronts. After Hilltop, the road descends in a similar fashion onto Akaroa Harbour at Barrys Bay. The road then hugs the shoreline as it passes through Duvauchelle and Takamatua before descending into Akaroa.

References