Last month, the Dunedin City Council put up new signs directing motorists travelling on the Central Otago Touring Route down Tirohanga Rd, near Mosgiel.
Tirohanga Rd resident John Pointon is concerned the changes increase the risk of walkers being hit by a vehicle.
The 341km touring route links Dunedin and Queenstown via Central Otago and was launched in 2020 to encourage people to explore off the beaten path.
Previously, motorists from Dunedin travelled down Three Mile Hill Rd and along School Rd before joining the Outram-Mosgiel Rd (SH87).
Mr Pointon said he "couldn’t see the common sense" in the new route, which directed travellers along Dukes, Hazlett and Tirohanga Rds, before rejoining SH87.
He had nothing against the "occasional" tourist who came down the road, but was concerned there would be more traffic, which would increase the chances of a pedestrian being hit.
"We [don’t] want this as a freeway for scenic routes.
"I don’t know why they were put down in the first place.
"And they wanted to make a tourist route of the road where we live.
"We pay the rates."
A Dunedin City Council spokesperson said the signs had been installed after talks with the Central Otago District Council and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
"Tirohanga Rd was chosen because it intersects with SH87 and offers a scenic route joining into SH87 at Outram to get to Middlemarch."
Joining Tirohanga Rd was less direct than remaining on SH87 and the council did not expect to see a large increase in the number of vehicles, the spokesperson said.
"However, we will monitor the use of this, and other key roads in the touring route."
The installation of the directional signs did not require consultation.
