Earlier this month, proposed roading changes aimed at making the area around the new Dunedin hospital safer were released for public consultation.
The changes proposed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) included removing the westbound right turn from St Andrew St on to Cumberland St — northbound heavy traffic was instead expected to use the Ward St overbridge to join the one-way system.
Dunedin City Council infrastructure committee chairman Jim O’Malley said the proposal to direct traffic on to the overbridge did not make sense.
Following an NZTA report to council in April, Cr O’Malley raised concerns about the bridge’s capacity to support extra traffic and said substantial investment was needed to upgrade it.
Yesterday, he said he still held concerns about the proposal.
"Bottom line is to put everybody over that bridge, it just doesn't make sense — NZTA knows that," he said.
"The reality of it is we just can't get the money [to upgrade it].
"We don't have a full metro status in the eyes of NZTA and that shows up in these projects."
Cr Lee Vandervis had also raised concerns about the bridge’s suitability.
"[The] bridge and feeder roads are already at capacity at times," he said yesterday.
Other suggestions to limit the St Andrew St traffic flow and railway crossing would make the bridge and the council’s Harbour Arterial project — which was intended to provide a safe and efficient alternative route for traffic to bypass the central city — "even more problematic", he said.
Council transport group manager Jeanine Benson said the bridge underwent a detailed assessment in 2019 and was used by about 7000 vehicles per day, including about 450 trucks, without significant issues reported.
Replacing the bridge had been included in initial plans for stage 4 of the Harbour Arterial project.
"This stage of the . . . project would be the most expensive part of the entire project, and there is currently no funding for stage 4 in either the [council’s] 9 year plan or the Regional Land Transport Programme," she said.
"It’s possible this stage may be funded and progress at a later date."
Public consultation on NZTA’s roading proposal closes on Monday.
