Week-long upgrades set to cause delays on bus Routes 3, 140 and the Orbiter in early January

A week of upgrades to the Aldwins, Ensors and Ferry Roads intersection will cause delays for Metro’s Routes 3, 140 and Orbiter services from 6PM on Sunday 5 January 2025. 

The Christchurch City Council-led works include road strengthening, signal upgrades and the installation of raised platforms. 

The intersection will be closed for seven days with the three affected bus routes detouring through nearby roads. All detours are viewable on Metro’s website - for more details on the detour for each impacted route, and to see a detour map, please visit their relevant webpages: Route 3 Airport or Sheffield Crescent to Sumner, Route 140 Russley/Mt Pleasant and Orbiter services. 

Several bus stops will also be temporarily moved or closed during this time – these will be sign-posted so it’s clear where customers can board and disembark instead.  

We expect the detours to add 5–10 minutes to most journeys, affecting the reliability of these services over this week. 

Customers of these services are encouraged to allow extra time to get to their destinations, while our buses travel their detoured routes. 

We want to thank our customers for their understanding. We know early January is a quieter time on our roads, so we’re hopeful that the impact is reduced. 

The planned works are expected to finish at 5AM on Monday 13 January, with Route 3, 140 and Orbiter set to resume their usual routes following that. 

More information on the upgrades is available to view on Christchurch City Council’s website.