State Highway 77 (New Zealand): Difference between revisions

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|destinations=[[Coalgate, New Zealand|Coalgate]], [[Glentunnel]], [[Rakaia Gorge]], [[Methven, New Zealand|Methven]]
|destinations=[[Coalgate, New Zealand|Coalgate]], [[Glentunnel]], [[Rakaia Gorge]], [[Methven, New Zealand|Methven]]
|terminus_b=[[New Zealand State Highway 1|West Street]] [[File:State Highway 1 NZ.svg|20px]] at [[Ashburton, New Zealand|Ashburton]]
|terminus_b=[[New Zealand State Highway 1|West Street]] [[File:State Highway 1 NZ.svg|20px]] at [[Ashburton, New Zealand|Ashburton]]
|alternate_name= [[Inland Scenic Route]]
|tourist= [[Inland Scenic Route]] between Homebush and Mount Hutt
|previous_type=SH
|previous_type=SH
|previous_route=75
|previous_route=75

Revision as of 12:19, 10 December 2011

State Highway 77 shield}}
State Highway 77
Route information
Maintained by NZ Transport Agency
Length93.9 km (58.3 mi)
Tourist
routes		Inland Scenic Route between Homebush and Mount Hutt
Major junctions
Northwest endSouth Terrace/West Coast Road at Darfield
Southeast endWest Street at Ashburton
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Primary
destinations		Coalgate, Glentunnel, Rakaia Gorge, Methven
Highway system
← SH 75→ SH 78

State Highway 77 is a State Highway in New Zealand going through the inland parts of Central and Mid Canterbury between the towns of Ashburton and Darfield via the Rakaia Gorge. It is wholly single carriageway with two one-lane bridges at the Rakaia and Selwyn Rivers. One set of traffic lights is found in Ashburton marking the southern terminus of the highway.

About 43 km of the highway lie on the Inland Scenic Route (formerly State Highway 72).

Route

State Highway 77 passing over the Rakaia Gorge Bridge, which was built in 1882
Much of State Highway 77 is dominated by the skyline of the Southern Alps and Canterbury foothills. Mount Hutt is especially noticeable from SH 77

This is the current route of SH 77 as of June 2010.

The highway begins as Bangor Road just west of Darfield town centre, and proceeds in a westerly directions towards the mountains through flat pastoral farmland. Just before reaching the foothills, the road intersects with the Inland Scenic Route (Deans Road) coming from Waddington and begins its concurrency at Homebush. After a name change to Homebush Road, the road skirts to the north of Coalgate and then to the south of Glentunnel before veering left and narrowing to one lane to cross the Selwyn River.

Now known as Wairiri Road, the road widens back to two lanes and passes through undulating to hilly farmland. At Glenroy the road changes name to Windwhistle Road and climbs towards the settlement of Windwhistle.

Beyond Windwhistle, the name changes to Rakaia Gorge Road and begins a spectacular descent into the Rakaia Gorge. For most of its length the Rakaia River runs on shingle river beds as a braided river but here the river is mostly a single channel. The river here has carved out the surrounding land to form two level terraces. The road passes over both these terraces before narrowing to one lane again to cross the river.

After widening again, the road changes name to Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road and rises towards the plains again. The road emerges onto the plains but passes right underneath the towering Mount Hutt. The road is frequently covered by snow and ices over in sheltered areas during the calmer periods of the winter months in higher parts of the road.

The road turns left onto Waimarama Road 10 km north of Alford Forest and proceeds through arable farmland, changes name again to Mount Hutt Station Road and arrives in Methven, where it changes name again to Main Street.

After Methven, the road changes name to Methven Highway and proceeds in a south to southeasterly direction through more pastoral farmland. Before Ashburton, the road hugs the Ashburton River, the name of the road changes to Alford Forest Road for about 2 km, then to River Terrace for 600 m and lastly to Moore Street for the last 300 m of the route before terminating at SH 1 in the town centre.

Major Intersections

State Highway 77
Northbound exits Distance to
Darfield
(km) 		Distance to
Ashburton
(km) 		Southbound exits
Darfield
End
as Bangor Road 		0 93.9 Darfield
Start
as Bangor Road
Greymouth, Waddington, Kirwee, Christchurch
West Coast Road
South Terrace 		Christchurch, Kirwee, Waddington, Greymouth
South Terrace
West Coast Road
Waddington, Oxford
Deans Road
(Inland Scenic Route) 		7.8 86.1 Waddington, Oxford
Deans Road
(Inland Scenic Route)
End concurrency with Inland Scenic Route
Name change to Bangor Road 		Start concurrency with Inland Scenic Route
Name change to Homebush Road
Coalgate, Hororata
Bridge Street 		11.1 82.8 Coalgate, Hororata
Bridge Street
Coalgate 11.8 82.1 Coalgate
Glentunnel 14.2 79.7 Glentunnel
Whitecliffs
Whitecliffs Road 		14.7 79.2 Whitecliffs
Whitecliffs Road
Name change to Homebush Road Name change to Wairiri Road
SELWYN RIVER 14.8 79.1 SELWYN RIVER
Hororata
Downs Road 		23.9 70.0 Hororata
Downs Road
Name change to Wairiri Road Name change to Windwhistle Road
Windwhistle
Name change to Windwhistle Road 		34.0 59.9 Windwhistle
Name change to Rakaia Gorge Road
Lake Coleridge, Te Pirita, Hororata
Coleridge Road
Leaches Road 		34.6 59.3 Hororata, Te Pirita, Lake Coleridge
Leaches Road
Coleridge Road
Rakaia Gorge
RAKAIA RIVER
Enter Selwyn District
Name change to Rakaia Gorge Road 		40.5 53.4 Rakaia Gorge
RAKAIA RIVER
Enter Ashburton District
Name change to Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road
Methven
Mount Hutt Station Road (shortcut) 		44.9 49.0 Methven
Mount Hutt Station Road (shortcut)
Timaru, Mayfield[disambiguation needed], Mount Hutt
Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road
(Inland Scenic Route)
McLennans Bush Road 		50.4 43.5 Mount Hutt, Mayfield[disambiguation needed], Timaru
McLennans Bush Road
Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road
(Inland Scenic Route)
Name change to Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road
Start concurrency with Inland Scenic Route 		Name change to Waimarama Road
End concurrency with Inland Scenic Route
Rakaia Gorge
Mount Hutt Station Road (shortcut) 		57.3 36.6 Rakaia Gorge
Mount Hutt Station Road (shortcut)
Name change to Waimarama Road Name change to Mount Hutt Station Road
Name change to Mount Hutt Station Road 59.3 34.6 Name change to Main Street
Highbank, Barrhill
Hall Street 		59.9 34.0 Highbank, Barrhill
Hall Street
Methven 60.0 33.9 Methven
Alford Forest, Lyndhurst, Lauriston
Forest Drive
Methven Chertsey Road 		Lyndhurst, Lauriston, Alford Forest
Methven Chertsey Road
Forest Drive
Name change to Main Street 60.8 33.1 Name change to Methven Highway
Mount Somers, Rakaia
Thompsons Track 		71.6 22.3 Rakaia, Mount Somers
Thompsons Track
Westerfield, Lauriston
Ollivers Road
Winchmore Lauriston Road 		81.8 12.1 Lauriston, Westerfield
Winchmore Lauriston Road
Ollivers Road

Racecourse Road 		88.1 5.8
Racecourse Road
Allenton, Netherby
Harrison Street 		90.9 3.0 Allenton, Netherby
Harrison Street
Name change to Methven Highway 91.1 2.8 Name change to Alford Forest Road
Allenton, Ashburton
Oak Grove
Havelock Street 		92.8 1.1 Allenton, Ashburton
Havelock Street
Oak Grove
Name change to Alford Forest Road Name change to River Terrace
Name change to River Terrace 93.5 0.4 Name change to Moore Street
Timaru, Tinwald, Chertsey, Christchurch
West Street 		93.9 0.0 Christchurch, Chertsey, Tinwald, Timaru
West Street
Ashburton
End continues as Moore Street to Hampstead, Wakanui

External links


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