$7 million cycleway link start
Connecting: Work in central city
WORK is beginning on Monday to build a $7 million connection that will eventually link the city and Port Chalmers.
Construction will include a $1.2 million shared cycle/pedestrian bridge across the Leith near Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin City Council transport group manager Richard Saunders said yesterday.
The work, twothirds of which will be paid for by the NZ Transport Agency, is a major plank in the council’s plans for a cycle/walkway connecting Port Chalmers and Taiaroa Head.
At the same time, the NZTA is continuing its cycleway work on the oneway system, focusing now on Castle St.
The council yesterday announced construction of the separated cycleway at the railway station end of Anzac Avenue would start next week.
It is expected to be finished by the end of November.
Work would start on the railway side of the road and then move to the opposite side.
Vehicles would only be able to travel north on that section of Anzac Ave, and detours would be in place.
Access to the Otago Farmers Market and leased and public car parks on Anzac Ave would be retained during construction.
Work was also progressing on Portsmouth Dr and construction of the cycle/pedestrian bridge over the Water of Leith.
Mr Saunders said initial groundwork would begin on the bridge next week, and steelwork was being prefabricated.
He said ideally the bridge would be completed a couple of months before Christmas, so it could be used over summer.
Planned connections with State Highway 1 would take longer, as they had become part of the council’s tertiary and central city plans.
Meanwhile, the NZ Transport Agency is milling existing and laying new asphalt along the cycleway route from Frederick St to Stuart St, on the right hand side of Castle St.
NZTA projects team manager Simon Underwood said the cycleway north of Albany St was ‘‘functionally complete’’ with just small jobs still to finish.
The NZTA is also making stormwater manhole covers safer for bicycles, and laying new asphalt south of Albany St.
The work would be done in sections, and the cycleway would be finished on the stretch of road in September.
Mr Underwood said parts of the work would mean Castle St would reduce to a single lane, though at offpeak times.
That would cause delays, as Dunedin was busy all day.
The Leviathan Hotel to Albany St stretch in Cumberland St would be the last section undertaken.