Gerard Hyland with his bike at the entry to the old
Caversham railway tunnel. Photo by Jane Dawber.
The Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust is facing a $1.6 million
hurdle in its quest to reopen the old Caversham tunnel to
cyclists.
A draft budget prepared by council staff for this week's
council pre-draft budget meetings showed work to make the
tunnel safe for public use could cost $1.689 million.
That was the estimated maximum cost of the four-stage
project, based on the council's contractor rates.
However, trust member Gerard Hyland was confident fundraising
by the trust, volunteer labour and other in-kind offers of
support would significantly reduce the bill.
The draft budget was included in a council staff report
prepared for councillors on the proposed southern cycleway,
which would run from Mosgiel to Dunedin's city centre via the
tunnel.
The first two stages of the project would include formalising
the relationship between the council and the trust, and
protecting electrical cables and a gas pipeline within the
tunnel, at a total cost of $326,000.
The bulk of the costs, totalling $1.338 million, would come
in stages three and four, and it would be left to the trust
and any partners to raise the money, the budget shows.
Work in stage three would cost $828,000 and include
protection of a council wastewater pipe running through the
tunnel ($320,000) and the installation of atmospheric
monitoring equipment ($400,000), if required.
Further "optional enhancements" could also come in stage
four, including CCTV and lighting, a ramp at the Burnside end
of the tunnel and a path from Sydney Park, together costing
$510,000.
The report by council transportation planning manager Sarah
Connolly recommended the project be included in the council's
long-term plan, but made no recommendation on funding the
bulk of the costs.
Her report noted there was money for the project in the
council's budget, with $150,000 of $158,000 allocated for
initial investigation work still unspent.
Ms Connolly told the ODT initial project management
work had been conducted in-house, and a council working party
looking at the project had negotiated significantly reduced
rates for geotechnical and gas-monitoring work inside the
tunnel.
Her report recommended the remaining $150,000 be used to help
fund the early stages of the tunnel project.
Mr Hyland told the ODT the council's cost estimates
were "surprisingly high", but he was confident the trust
could complete the work.
"We would be doing the same work, or similar work, but
in-kind, so we wouldn't get anywhere near that sort of cost
level."
He hoped the tunnel's gates would be opened to volunteer
workers and others to enter "at their own risk" by October,
in time for the 140th anniversary of the tunnel's
construction.
- chris.morris@odt.co.nz
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