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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NZ Transport Agency | ||||
| Length | 71 km (44 mi) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| Northeast end | SH 1  | |||
| Southwest end | Bledisloe Street  | |||
| Location | ||||
| Primary destinations | Waimate | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Highway 82 (SH 82) is a minor east-west South Island state highway in South Canterbury connecting SH 1 at the locality of Hook to SH 83 at the settlement of Kurow in the Waitaki Valley via the major town of Waimate. It is a two lane single carriageway.
The South Island, also officially named Te Waipounamu, is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area; the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres (58,084 sq mi), making it the world's 12th-largest island. It has a temperate climate.
The New Zealand state highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Nearly 100 roads in the North and South Islands are state highways. All state highways are administered by the NZ Transport Agency.
South Canterbury is the name given semi-formally to the area of the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand bounded by the Rangitata River in the north and the Waitaki River to the south. The Pacific Ocean and ridge of the Southern Alps form natural boundaries to the east and west respectively. Though the exact boundaries of the region have never been formalised, the term is used for a variety of government agencies and other entities. It is one of four traditional sub-regions of Canterbury, along with Mid-Canterbury, North Canterbury, and Christchurch city.
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The highway crosses the Waitaki River and provides a vital link between Kurow and Hakataramea. SH 82 has for a long time been notable for two 130 year-old single lane bridges (256m and 140m long). SH 82 offers the only handy alternative route for motorists to reach destinations north and south of the Waitaki River and without these bridges motorists using SH 1 would face lengthy detours via the Mackenzie District. Dating back to 1881 and 1893, these aging structures were originally built as railway bridges but had recently reached the end of their serviceable lives. Extensive flood damage during December 1995/January 1996 that resulted in the closures of these bridges, highlighted their vulnerability to further flood damage.
The Waitaki River is a large braided river that drains the Mackenzie Basin and runs some 110 kilometres (68 mi) south-east to enter the Pacific Ocean between Timaru and Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It starts at the confluence of the Ohau River and the Tekapo River, now in the head of the artificial Lake Benmore, these rivers being fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki, Tekapo, and Ohau. The Waitaki flows through Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki, these lakes being contained by hydroelectric dams, Benmore Dam, Aviemore Dam and Waitaki Dam. The Waitaki has several tributaries, notably the Ahuriri River and the Hakataramea River. It passes Kurow and Glenavy before entering the Pacific Ocean.
In 2014 the bridges were upgraded to brand new two lane bridges along with a downstream cycle-pedestrian path. [1] Timber from the two 19th century bridges have been used to restore Helmores Lane Bridge in Christchurch, which has been damaged since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. [2]
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. The Christchurch urban area lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula. It is home to 404,500 residents, making it New Zealand's third-most populous city behind Auckland and Wellington. The Avon River flows through the centre of the city, with an urban park located along its banks.
An Mw 6.2 earthquake occurred in Christchurch on 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time. The earthquake struck the Canterbury Region in New Zealand's South Island and was centred two kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the port town of Lyttelton, and 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-east of the centre of Christchurch, at the time New Zealand's second-most populous city. The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people in the nation's fifth-deadliest disaster.
