The bridge, retaining the link between Mornington and Riselaw Rds and the suburbs of Kenmure and Corstorphine, was part of the original $53 million upgrade of State Highway 1 between Andersons Bay Rd and Lookout Point.
In June, the Otago Regional Land Transport Committee opted to dispense with the planned road bridge in favour of a pedestrian bridge - in the hope the $25 million saving would make the upgrade a more attractive project for the board.
However, the agency's Otago-Southland director, Bruce Richards, yesterday said the board wanted the traffic bridge considered as part of the design.
"They just want us to have another look at it to see what is the best option."
Mr Richards said he told the board the cheaper option was driven by "value for money".
"And they said, `Perhaps we are going a bit cheap'. So we just want to be convinced that we have picked the best option and they want us to revisit the overbridge."
Mr Richards said it was difficult to measure the benefit to people of a road bridge over the highway.
While it was Dunedin's fourth most dangerous intersection, the fact that so few people crossed the state highway had to be taken into account.
"You could put it in and it could be a white elephant or it could be a huge success. We have to somehow try and assess that before they make a final decision," he said.
Bringing the cost of the bridge back into the project was a "two-edged sword" because it could reduce the whole project's cost-benefit ratio.
The Government's first priority for funding was efficiency, safety was second and "connectivity" third, Mr Richards said.
"Connectivity is what the bridge would give. And from a local point of view, connectivity could be quite important. From a national network point of view, safety and efficiency are important."
Mr Richards laid out the issue for members of the Dunedin City Council infrastructure services committee on Monday.
Last month, the agency took the first step towards the upgrade by granting $6.6 million for design work and land purchase.
The agency's regional project manager, Simon Underwood, told the committee construction work on the four-laning part of the upgrade, at the Andersons Bay end of the highway, was expected to begin in early 2011.
Lookout Point crashes
From 2004 to 2008
Rear end: 8
Cornering: 6
Overtaking/lane changing: 4
Pedestrian crossing road: 2
Total: 31
