The finer details of $14million of safety upgrade work on Dunedin roads will not be known until later this year at the earliest.
The Government announced a $600million safer roads and roadsides programme on Thursday, with $21million going to the South Island.
A little over half the money is new funding.
A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Simon Bridges said further investment in the South was likely.
Asked about the difference between funding for the North Island and the South Island, she said: "The safe roads alliance is identifying and prioritising high-risk rural highways for improvement based on solid evidence, including crash history, traffic volumes and road safety ratings.
"This is a long-term programme.
"Not all of the sites to be improved have yet been identified, and further investment for improvements to South Island sites is likely.''
The work will include upgrades on State Highway 1 between Dunedin and Fairfield, where design work and business cases would be developed by mid-next year.
Construction would follow "as soon as possible''.
Designs for State Highway 88 between Dunedin and Port Chalmers would be available later this year, with construction expected to be completed by mid-next year.
State Highway 1 from Mosgiel to Balclutha would be developed by mid-next year, with construction to follow "as soon as possible''.
The spokeswoman said while details were yet to be determined, the upgrades included a combination of roadside and median barriers, curve reduction, rumble strips, widened centre lines, improved signage and road markings, shoulder widening and intersection improvements.
Asked if all the money was new funding for roads, she said $60million more than usual would be invested in minor road safety improvements.
"This equates to $360million in new money over the life of the programme.''
The entire $600million budget had not been allocated yet.
