Council group manager transport Richard Saunderssaid work on the bridge was expected to start once planning and detailed design of the bridge was complete.
"The bridge will give pedestrians and cyclists an elegant, easy connection from the SH88 shared path to the central city or around the inner harbour to the Peninsula.”
The bridge would span the Leith between the railway and the harbour and some landscaping would be done around the bridge to make the area more attractive.
Infrastructure Services and Networks Committee chairwoman Kate Wilson praised the design.
"I’m delighted to see this work getting underway.
"The design chosen is a fantastic blend of art and function and will give us a more direct route across the water, strengthening links around our beautiful harbour," Cr Wilson said.
Mr Saunders said the bridge design was developed by DC Structures Studio and would be constructed by Edifice Contracts.
The DCC would work to minimise disruption to the public during construction.
"During construction, we’ll retain access to the existing cycleways as much as possible, with any detours clearly marked. The work will not affect access to events at the stadium."
The cable-stay bridge would feature a 20m high steel mast, and steelwork encased in durable glue-bonded timber. The deck surface would be non-slip planking.
Construction was expected to be complete by the end of August. Design and construction of the bridge was expected to cost about $1.2 million.
Work on the planned cycleways running along Anzac Ave and the railway line, around the base of the harbour and along Portsmouth Dr was also likely to start around March.
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Cue comments along the lines of, 'These disgraceful greenie councilors spending ratepayers cash on cyclists at our expense while the bins are a shambles etc." It might be time to consider that making a livable city requires investment and vision. See also Vogel St Precinct, the Railway Station, Toitu etc. and hopefully the harbour basin project.
Come on DCC, this is not the priority area for cycling in Dunedin!! Finish the SH88 cycle lane to Port before spending over a million on a finishing touch when so much of the basic cycling infrastructure is still missing.
The people of Waitati wait a year to have a foot bridge repaired. DCC admit last week they will not repair the recent storm damage for over a year. But their urgent priority is to spend more money on cycle paths.
From the mayor and CEO down this council has their priorities wrong. Spending on pet projects and ignoring the bulk of the population.
KeithMcC. I've just read your comment attached to ODT article of 15/08/17 titled "Cycleway Link Track Approved".
The original cost of the bridge was stated as $900,000 so $1.2M has already exceeded that by 33.4% and they haven't even started yet. Cr Lee Vandervis was the only person that objected to the cycleway bridge. Lynley Hood's concerns on behalf of the Visual Impairment Charitable Trust were also ignored by the remaining 11 councillors.
Since reading "DCC Unveils $1.2M Cycleway Bridge" two days ago, anger has prevented me from commenting. Will submit my reaction in letter form to the Editor of the ODT and hope it'll be published.
In the meantime, I look forward to reading more of your comments.
My letter to the Editor of the ODT didn't turn out to be the masterpiece that I thought it would be. Have been advised that it hasn't been selected for publication. Drat. Oh well, back to the drawing board I suppose.
As a cyclist who uses that route often for recreation I think there are other important things. If you want money spent on cycleways then complete the routes to Port Chamers and to Portabello. The shared bridge that is there and serves the statism does a fine job. Why add another one? It can wait.
Here's an idea... instead of building a near pointless bridge... how about fixing the cities problem with drainage... then maybe south dunedin won't turn into a pond every time we get a decent amount of rain...
You'd think it'd be common sense to get on to it asap... I wonder how much we've spent on civil defense/army call outs to stop flooding flooding in the last five years. let alone the cost of damages to home owners and small businesses...
you'd think it would be quite high on their priorities...
I mean personally Iive on a hill so it doesn't effect me either way, but it doesn't take someone with half a brain to think about the reality of the situation.
How is it that when the biggest NON Rate payer in the city wants something Cull and his cowboy council can move fast. How long have proper ratepayers been waiting for everyday things that take forever. The list has already started in the comments and would fill pages. As usual the rate payers money is sucked into the university and cbd area.
I trust the funds for the proposed bridge are Government funded (i.e. use it or lose it) I would be concerned if the funding is at the expense of funding required to complete the cycleway to Port.