Next step in peninsula connection

THE next link in the multimilliondollar Otago Peninsula cycling and walking connection project is about to get under way.

Fulton Hogan will begin work on the next stage of the the connection, between Vauxhall and Macandrew Bay, next month.

Dunedin City Council transport group manager Richard Saunders said the section was chosen because it had the highest number of users and provided the greatest benefits.

It was expected the section would take about 18 months to complete.

About $23 million is expected to be spent on the work and the council would pay about $10.5 million of that, Mr Saunders said.

The rest would be covered by the NZ Transport Agency.

Along with other projects, the work would improve the connections between the harbour and inner city, he said.

As the road between Vauxhall and Macandrew Bay was busy, the council encouraged people to allow extra time for travel during the work, he said.

The budget for the remainder of the project is $44 million and the new section fitted within that budget, he said.

‘‘The council is working closely with the contractor to keep costs at a level that will allow the whole project to be delivered.’’

Work on the section between Turnbulls Bay and Portobello was expected to be finished by April next year.

Construction of a new retaining wall next to the Turnbulls Bay wall is due to start in early 2019.

Otago Peninsula Community Board chairman Paul Pope said the board and council acknowledged the work would cause travel disruption and delays for both peninsula residents and visitors.

‘‘We’re mitigating that as much as possible with good communication between the contractor, community board and the council.’’

The Peninsula Connection is a safety improvement project to widen and in places, raise the road, build a new rock seawall and create a shared cycle/ walking path.