The Dunedin City Council will start construction on the Bath St upgrade project in April this year, with an expected completion date of July, 2025.
DCC climate and city growth general manager Scott MacLean said the main purpose of the project was to replace degraded underground pipes along Bath St, some of which dated back to the 1880s. These include a watercourse pipe and water, stormwater and sewage pipelines.
"This project will help protect the future of this unique and well-used central city area so it can be enjoyed by all the community for many years to come," Mr MacLean said.
The majority of the work will be on Bath St and within the intersection of Bath and lower Stuart Sts.
Work will also be undertaken at Moray Pl near the Great King St intersection and within the intersection of Bath and George Sts.
"The work within the intersection of lower Stuart and Bath Sts means we will need to close off most of the lower Stuart St block from the Octagon to vehicles for six months starting in May.
"This will allow the area to be used for construction activities. Foot traffic access to all businesses will be maintained.
"The work has been sequenced to lessen the disruption to businesses as much as possible. This includes starting the work at the end of the cruise ship season.
"The DCC has also co-ordinated this project with other major construction work in the CBD and upcoming city events. However, we acknowledge that the work will still be disruptive and we’re working closely with property owners, tenants and residents to minimise inconvenience."
The DCC will provide specific details of the work and traffic management before the first stage begins in April, and then before the start of subsequent stages.
The road surface of Bath St will be upgraded once the new pipes have been installed to make the street more pedestrian friendly.
