In recent days, a stark steel chain-link fence has appeared along the edge of a section of State Highway 88 at Curles Point, near St Leonards.
The fence blocks vehicle access to Curles Point, which has until now provided a pull-over area for motorists.
The fence appeared without warning on Monday, and an NZTA spokesman initially said it would be a permanent fixture.
It was a response to a problem with the illegal dumping of household rubbish and green waste in the area, he said.
But, after the Otago Daily Times pointed out the pull-in bay's other uses for motorists, the agency clarified its position.
In a follow-up statement yesterday, NZTA network manager Chris Harris said it would be an "interim" measure "until a permanent solution is put in place".
The fence would be removed once construction of the next stage of the State Highway 88 shared path project began, and the rest area was likely to be reinstated upon completion.
West Harbour Community Board chairman Steve Walker said the fence "seems like quite an extreme measure to stop rubbish dumping".
The board had not been informed before the fence went in, and the first he knew of it was when he spotted it on Monday.
"You know, we do have a community board. It would have been nice," he said.
