The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister says Christchurch's central city cordon will be further opened up over the next two months.
Gerry Brownlee says the cordon will be reduced in May and military personnel who man the checkpoints are expected to leave by July.
The cordon now covers 38 hectares, down from approximately 200 hectares when it was established after the devastating February 2011 earthquake.
Mr Brownlee says reducing the cordon will also allow the reopening of the Old Government Building, which is now the Heritage Hotel.
He says reconstruction zones should be designated for the area by June and the red zone can now be renamed the rebuild zone.
