Finishing touches to the Dunedin City Council’s Bath St upgrades will be added before Christmas, senior project manager Susil Gunathilake said.
However, the two rainbow crossings planned for Bath St’s intersections with George and Stuart Sts would be installed in 2026, he said.
Budget considerations nixed the crossings from the project in May. At the time, staff said they would be included in the 2025-26 work programme and installed without any additional budget.
The council resolved to install a rainbow crossing in the central city in 2021 and confirmed commitment to a rainbow crossing in Bath St/George St in 2024.
"We continue to work with stakeholders, including our disability community, to finalise a detailed design and we will seek input from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi before sharing updated designs with councillors for their information," Mr Gunathilake said.
No further decisions on the crossings were required by councillors.
The project began in May last year to replace degraded underground pipes dating back to 1887 in Bath St and lower Stuart St. Underground work finished in August.
The council had approved a $17million budget for the project. As the work was ongoing, Mr Gunathilake could not say if the project came within this budget.
The upgrade work had been challenging for several reasons and the council was pleased with the results to date, he said.
"We’ve worked carefully around the heritage buildings, we’ve upgraded and future-proofed critical Three Waters infrastructure and other utilities and we’ve given the road a new profile and layout that has been welcomed by road users, adjacent businesses and property owners."
The council had received plenty of positive comments already — a tribute to the hard work of staff and contractors.
"We also want to thank all stakeholders, including the nearby building owners and their tenants, for their patience and understanding during the entire project," Mr Gunathilake said.
"We gave businesses in the area a commitment the substantive work would be complete, and road open again, in time for the start of the cruise ship season in October and we have achieved that."
Finishing touches included installing new lighting, cultural works including tohu whenua, signs, road markings and remedying any defects.
