Reopening Robins Rd — a vital link between Gorge Rd and the CBD — has been pushed back due to delays in installing a new wastewater pipe because of ‘‘machinery issues and tough ground conditions’’.
A partial reopening set for April is now scheduled for August.
The full reopening, originally to take place in June, is now due in September.
The work, which started in January, has already caused major delays for Gorge Rd traffic heading to the CBD.
Gridlock has become a common occurrence, especially in the late afternoon, with queues stretching to the Industrial Pl turn-off or even further back.
Skifield boss, NZSki’s Paul Anderson, said the traffic delays were seriously affecting the visitor experience and might mean some would not return.
‘‘Are they going to come back or are they going to go, ‘well, Queenstown’s just as congested as [Australian ski resorts] Perisher or Thredbo or somewhere else’ and they might make the decision to stay closer to home.
‘‘We understand these works [including the BP roundabout] all need to be done, but you see project after project delayed and you can’t help thinking the council and NZ Transport Agency [Waka Kotahi] just don’t take into account adequately the impact on the local community and the people who are coming to visit.’’
With the Queenstown Fire Station being on the corner of Robins Rd and Isle St, Chief Fire Officer Terry O’Connell said turn-out times for volunteers responding to call-outs were ‘‘way down’’.
‘‘It is an absolute nuisance,’’ he said.
Jono Ettima, co-owner of Robins Rd gourmet food store McKibbon’s of Royalburn, said they were down 10% in sales since the roadworks began.
Frustratingly, 4pm-6pm was usually their busiest times in winter, with ski tourists coming in.
‘‘These are now our quietest hours because once you’re in the [Gorge Rd] queue, people are afraid to pull in because they can’t get back out.’’
An extra irritant would begin from next week, as half of nearby Hallenstein St, between Gorge Rd and Weaver St, closed for water connection replacements, he said.
This new work was scheduled to take three weeks.
However, council did delay the work a week to avoid the school holidays.
