Mayor Jules Radich said it was better to add "flexibility" into the George St upgrade now than create the risk of further work being completed and later potentially undone.
He continued to argue the upgrade should proceed in a way that would allow two-way traffic to be restored without much expense if it turned out a switch to one-way traffic delivered disappointing results.
"It’s really important to preserve the options for future generations," Mr Radich said.
A majority of the Dunedin City Council voted in 2021 for one-way traffic in three blocks of George St and work in the first block was substantially completed in November last year.
In December, the council voted 8-7 to ask staff to explore how flexibility might be incorporated into the remainder of the project and their response this week indicated it would not be straightforward.
When the mayor discussed the issue with the Otago Daily Times yesterday, he had been at a conference and had not yet read his council papers ahead of a meeting next week.
A report by council staff said a redesign would force a construction delay that could cost between $750,000 and $1 million a month.
Such an exercise might take between four and eight months.
The cost of a redesign itself was estimated at between $300,000 and $500,000.
Mr Radich signalled there might be room for debate about the extent of any delay.
Last year’s mayoralty election result pointed to strong public support for flexibility or two-way traffic, he said.
Some positions taken during the election campaign were unhelpful, he said.
Asked if the quest for design adjustment was likely at an end, Cr Benson-Pope said he hoped "this excursion down populist politics has run its course".
"I’m sure the mayor and his followers will see it’s not sensible," he said.
It was time for some people to "take a deep breath and get over themselves".
Cr Benson-Pope said elected members had now had time to assess material and reflect on "the reality of the situation".
Cr Bill Acklin, who voted with the mayor in December, said staff were in a tricky position, because a course was already being pursued when a majority of the new council asked for some elements to be revisited.
A timeframe of four to eight months for a redesign seemed to be "ridiculously long".
Cr Acklin said he had not made up his mind how he might approach any vote on Tuesday.
This could be influenced by answers to questions.
