Planned changes include switching the end of State Highway 88 from St Andrew St to Frederick St to allow a more suitable environment to be created around the central-city hospital under construction.
They also include shifting the alignment of Pine Hill Rd, SH1, in North Dunedin, to improve visibility at the Great King St intersection.
At the other end of the SH1 one-way system, a right-turn bay on the Caversham Bypass Motorway for traffic approaching Andersons Bay Rd is to be extended to allow more queuing space.
The changes, and others along the SH1 corridor in Dunedin, have been approved by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) board.
Projects were in the pre-implementation phase, the agency said.
This would include refining or confirming design, seeking resource consents and dealing with any property transactions required, system design regional manager Richard Osborne said.
Work was progressing through two different business cases completed earlier this year, he said.
Changes focused around the hospital in the city centre are expected to cost between $8.1 million and $10.5m.
Proposed changes at either end of the one-way pair, and other adjustments along the corridor, have been estimated to add up to between $23.1m and $28m.
Funding for pre-implementation had been approved, Mr Osborne said.
The single-stage business case for work in central Dunedin highlighted opening of the new hospital is expected to fundamentally change movement patterns of people and goods in the city centre.
The hospital will be flanked by the SH1 one-way system.
It would also be bisected by SH88 if the highway designation remained at St Andrew St, but the plan is to have the highway end at Frederick St instead.
St Andrew St will become a local road looked after by the Dunedin City Council and the intention is to provide a better pedestrian environment.
A right turn from St Andrew St into Cumberland St is to be removed for general traffic. Emergency vehicles using sirens and flashing lights will be exempt from the right-turn ban.
NZTA said earlier this month it was formally seeking a supplier for the design of roading system changes.
The design would take some time and people should not expect to see much work happening on the streets this year, the agency said.
‘‘The exception will be construction work beginning soon on a new signalised pedestrian crossing on SH1 Cumberland St, near Centre City New World,’’ system design acting regional manager Chad Baker said at the time.
‘‘This will help people move safely to and from the new Dunedin hospital outpatients building. The new hospital inpatient building is not expected to open until 2031, but we are keen to ensure the roading system is well set up for that development.’’
In North Dunedin, the intersection of Pine Hill Rd and Great King St was considered to be of particular concern.
The approved plan involves the Pine Hill Rd uphill lane from Great King St being shifted a few metres into the Town Belt.
Such work would improve safety and sight distances at an intersection regarded as high-risk, it was argued in a business case for this and other work.
The project would provide safer access to North East Valley and include better connections for cycling and walking, the single-stage business case said.
An alternative proposal of an overpass made it on to the shortlist, but was discounted as unaffordable and likely difficult to construct.
