A large wastewater upgrade project is underway in Ilam. Clyde Road is now complete, work on Creyke Road is ongoing, and work on Maidstone Road will begin mid-2025. The project began in early September 2024 and is expected to finish in mid-2026.

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We are upgrading wastewater infrastructure in Ilam with the installation of new, larger pipes that will help meet increasing demand from our growing city. 

The project is being carried out in three stages and will be disruptive, with one-way traffic measures in place to allow the work to happen. Read more on Newsline(external link).

Stage one: Clyde and Creyke roads 

The first stage of work includes work on Clyde and Creyke roads and was expected to run from September 2024 to December 2025. With work on Clyde Road completed in May 2025 and work on Creyke Road also progressing well, we expect stage one to wrap up a couple of months ahead of schedule. View the stage one work notice(external link).

Stage two: Maidstone Road

Stage two work will focus on Maidstone Road, but the first phase of work will involve laying pipe across the intersection of Creyke Road, Ilam Road and Maidstone Road. This is expected to take one month to complete, starting in mid-June 2025. View the stage one, phase one work notice.(external link)

Current traffic impacts

A temporary one-way system is currently in place on Creyke Road, between Clyde Road and Ilam Road, for westbound traffic. Signposted detours will direct eastbound traffic around the lane closure. The speed limit is reduced to 30km/h so we can keep our workers and everyone in the area safe. View a map of the one-way systems [PNG, 926 KB].

Note: Clyde Road is now open to two-way traffic, as of May 2025.

Current work focus: Creyke Road

Work on the eastern and western ends of Creyke Road is ongoing. A reminder that multiple pipes are being laid at different depths. This sometimes causes confusion, as it looks like we are going over parts of the worksite that we have already worked on.

Project area

The map below shows the full project area for this programme of works.

The work scope for stage one includes:

  • Pumping water from below the ground to allow for trenching and excavation works.
  • Trenching and excavation works.
  • Installation of new, larger pipes.
  • Road sealing.

Stage one works began in early September 2024 and will wrap up in December 2025. Stage two will overlap these works when it begins in approximately August 2025.

Further stages will follow stage one, with some overlap in the timing of the stages.

The second stage of the upgrade will affect the east end of Maidstone Road, with work also planned on Creyke Road beside the Clyde Road intersection. This is scheduled to start in August 2025. 

The third stage will happen in early 2026 on Maidstone Road, at the western end between Ilam and Waimairi roads.