DCC infrastructure services committee chairman Cr Jim O’Malley said yesterday in a statement the first 1.5km stage of the trail was fully funded by the council.
From a $1.8 million budget, about $400,000 had already been spent on the design, consents and the purchase of land.
The rest would be used for construction "and to progress stage one of the trail as far as possible", Cr O’Malley said.
"We’ll then work with the [Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust] so they can implement the next stages."
The first stage was all off-road, running from Gladstone Rd North, in Wingatui, along a disused rail alignment, before it ran through the Victorian-era Chain Hills Tunnel and a few hundred metres beyond.
"People will get to experience the historic Chain Hills Tunnel, opened in 1875, and some lovely regenerating bush," he said.
The plan in the long term was to continue the trail to Fairfield, Abbotsford Rd and Green Island through the Caversham Tunnel and into the city.
The work scheduled to begin next week included construction of an unsealed trail, drainage works, fencing, installation of seats, plantings, handrails and signs.
Trust chairman Brent Irving said it was "fantastic to finally get something under way".
The trust had been working towards a trail since the early 2000s, Mr Irving said.
"The potential for this trail is significant," he said.
"The goal is to push through so commuting or recreational riders and walkers can move safely from Dunedin to Fairfield and on to the Taieri or vice-versa."
"The wider, medium-term objective is to have a trail from Queenstown right through to Dunedin City and up the coast with various other trusts and groups working on different sections. Dunedin will become part of the hugely successful Shared Path Cycleway network across the region and the country."
Council climate and city growth general manager Scott MacLean said the council understood it was "super exciting" to have the trail’s construction under way, but people were asked to wait until the section was fully completed before attempting to use it.
"Once it’s completed, we’ll also be asking people not to move beyond the end of the constructed trail," Mr MacLean said.
"While it may be tempting to explore further, unformed sections of the trail, it would mean going on to private land or rail corridor and may impact our ability to negotiate access for the remainder of the trail."
The council is developing the trail in partnership with the Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust under a Memorandum of Understanding.
In a social media post yesterday, the trust said Fulton Hogan had won the contract for the work.
The first stage was due to be finished in October, it said. — APL
