Prime Minister John Key announced $13million in funding towards a cycle trail network in Otago last weekend.
The Central Lakes Trust offered an $11million grant and the Otago Community Trust contributed $2million.
The project would connect Queenstown, Roxburgh Gorge, Clutha Gold and Otago Central Rail Trails.
Three new trails would be built from Cromwell, connecting it to Wanaka, Clyde and joining up with the Queenstown Trail in the Kawarau Gorge.
A 12km missing section from the Roxburgh Gorge Trail would also be completed.
Central Otago Queenstown Trails Steering Trust chairman Stephen Jeffrey said new trails going through the Cromwell and Kawarau Gorges would be the most expensive.
In both gorges the trails would be built on the opposite side of the water to the road.
Both had technically challenging features.
While a feasibility study had been completed, engineering work would be required.
On steep sections of the gorges they would need to crack into the rock, he said.
"But all the dangers were addressed in the feasibility study.''
Archaeological surveys would need to be carried out for historic sites, as had been required on the Roxburgh trail for old huts and the like.
Geotechnical surveys might also be needed in a "couple of places.''
Mr Jeffrey is also the Roxburgh Gorge Charitable Trust chairman and had been working on filling the unfinished section of the Roxburgh trail since it opened in 2013.
The issue was with three land owners, but progress had been made and the rest would be worked out ``down the track'', he said.
The network would probably not have its own name as each trail would retain its individual identity.
The old Alexandra bridge restoration would not be for motorised vehicles and was likely to be
a swing bridge, although the design had not been completed, Mr Jeffrey said.
Central Otago District Council economic development manager Warwick Hawker said "all roads lead to Cromwell'' in this project.
The economic benefits to the town would not happen overnight, he said, but his impression was it would be wonderful for Central Otago.
Duncan Randall, co-director of bike shop and tour company Bike It Now in Clyde, said current trails provided success to many businesses like his.
"When it's on, it's really on. The trails extend people's stays.''
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said the city neededto take advantage of the new investment.
He raised the issue at yesterday's Dunedin City Council economic development committee meeting, calling
on Enterprise Dunedin to investigate how Dunedin might capitalise on the network.
Enterprise Dunedin director John Christie said it was investigating how Dunedin could access Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment funding to better link the city with the cycle trails across the region.
After the meeting, Mr Cull said Dunedin could take advantage of having the trail on its doorstep by looking at better ways to link the city with the start of the Otago Central Rail Trail at Middlemarch.
"It's looking at whether accelerating the opening of the Caversham Tunnel and the Wingatui Tunnel would improve access across the Taieri.''
- Additional reporting Vaughan Elder
