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The long awaited opening of the Christchurch North Corridor took place without a bump in the road.
All four lanes of the $ 290 million freeway extension were opened to traffic Thursday afternoon, as the cones were removed without fanfare and traffic began to leak.
Stacy Squires / Stuff
Graeme Sword, on her 100-year-old Triumph motorcycle, and Jack and Dorothy Porter were first in line when the cones were removed.
The shared path for cyclists and walkers was opened at the same time.
A spokeswoman for the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) said police were on patrol at the end of Belfast, but overall the opening went smoothly.
While traffic was slow to take off, the shared path was heavily used, with dog walkers, cyclists, and pedestrians eager to give it a try.
Stacy Squires / Stuff
The first cars begin to arrive.
A group of retirees even rode their electric bikes the entire 10 km stretch to Rangiora for coffee, he said.
NZTA urges all drivers to be careful at the intersections with Cranford St and QEII Drive in Belfast as people get used to the new road layout.
