Detour concerns business owners

Lumsden business owners are not happy with plans to bypass the Northern Southland township while a culvert is replaced.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency plans to bypass Lumsden for a week while it replaces a culvert under State Highway 6.

Business owners said while they understood there was no other option but to close the road, they heavily relied on the SH6 through-traffic and it would likely mean an almost total loss of income while the bypass was in place.

The Ram Hill Stream culvert is at the bottom of the northern side of the Josephville Hill. The planned road closure will be established on the Lumsden-Dipton section of SH6 between Caroline Valley Rd and Josephville-St Patricks Rd.

An NZTA spokesman said a full detour would be in place from September 19-25, via the Dipton-Castlerock Rd and SH95 (Lumsden-Mossburn Highway), reconnecting to State Highway 6 north of Lumsden.

The 80-year old culvert was at the base of the hill and on a bend, with limited shoulder room and no room to build a temporary road.

Lumsden business-owner Rob Scott, who is also a and Southland district councillor, said he, along with other business owners in the area, had met NZTA representatives to see if there was another solution, but were told there were no viable options around having to close the road for a week.

Mr Scott said the group had been assured engineers had assessed bridges on the bypass route as being capable of handling heavy vehicles and increased traffic flow.

"So while we are still not happy with the town being shut off for a week, the reality is that there is not much that can be done about it other than providing awareness that Lumsden is still there and to encourage people to backtrack the small distance to go to the town."

It will be the second time the road has been closed since November last year, when a stock underpass, which NZTA subsidised by $78,102, was installed 600m south of Ram Hill Stream.

NZTA Southland maintenance and operations network manager Jacob Mason said the option of linking both projects had been explored with the local farmer but it was not possible because the culvert works still required design and consent when the underpass was ready to be built.

Staff would be working 24/7 at the site to complete the work as soon as possible. Consultation with the neighbouring residents had yet to take place.

NZTA did not say what measures would be in place to mitigate noise from the work site for neighbouring residents.

By Toni McDonald