Dundas St bridge work not delayed by flooding

Flooding at the weekend and unforeseen challenges have not delayed the construction work on the Dundas St bridge, the Otago Regional Council says.

The bridge, originally expected to be open this month, is still tracking to its new October deadline.

Otago Regional Council operations general manager Gavin Palmer yesterday said the council had faced some issues with the construction of the bridge, which forms part of the wider Leith flood protection scheme.

Otago Regional Council operations general manager Gavin Palmer at the site of the Dundas St...
Otago Regional Council operations general manager Gavin Palmer at the site of the Dundas St bridge, which is due to be finished in October. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH

They included having to support neighbouring buildings after excavating the land underneath them to lay rock for the flood protection scheme.

"Having enough space to put the rock without destabilising the building is a bit of a challenge,'' Dr Palmer said.

Working around underground services such as the water mains and ensuring that was not disrupted had also presented the council with some challenges.

Project manager Oliver Snyder said less than four cumecs of water were flowing through the site on Monday afternoon, but the flow was high enough to stop construction work on the site for the day.

However, flooding at the weekend had not affected the October deadline, Dr Palmer said.

When complete, the waterway will be able to cope with 171 cumecs of water.

Mr Snyder said there were up to 15 people working on the site at once to get the bridge complete. Dr Palmer said in some parts of the Leith, the council was working to double the capacity of the river - however that was not necessary everywhere, and was not needed when it came to the Dundas St site.

Following reports a few students had crossed the Leith on Saturday - the day of the "storm the Leith'' protest and the Agnew St party - climbing into the building site and across beams placed over the Water of Leith, the council was pleading with students not to break into the building site.

The students' behaviour was "very dangerous'' and unnecessary, considering there were other routes across the river in different parts of the campus, Dr Palmer said.

The council had taken several security measures and was working closely with the university and with Campus Watch to deter students from entering the construction site.

elena.mcphee@odt.co.nz

 

Comments

"The council had taken several security measures and was working closely with the university and with Campus Watch to deter students from entering the construction site"
So instead of actively listening to people that want to have a look at what is happening and why it is taking so long, they want to deter people.
What next?, will they trespass people?. Bit hard to do that on a bridge I would have thought.

 

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