Further road widening work on the lower Otago Peninsula road can now begin after consents were granted for the next stages of the project.
The Otago Regional Council granted consent for the Dunedin City Council to reclaim parts of the foreshore and seabed to widen Harington Point and Portobello Rds for a cycle and pedestrian path, bus stop areas, turning bays and the ''softening of some corners''.
The work was part of a series of projects along the peninsula planned to improve vehicle, cycle and pedestrian safety on both roads.
About 5.3km of road widening had already been completed on the roads.
City council transport group projects engineer Evan Matheson said he was pleased to get the consents and the conditions imposed by the hearing panel were in line with what had been expected.
''They're fair and reasonable. They reflect the similar work we've done on Portobello Rd.''
The council planned to call for tenders for the next stage of the work - 2.7km of Harington Point Rd from Otakou Fisheries to the end of the Harington Point village - in June or July, at a cost of $3 million.
Before they do so they would be consulting the Harington Point community about the detailed design plan, he said.
The stretch had some particular issues with drainage and ponding during heavy rain and also had to accommodate beach access.
