Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairman Andrew Simms said there was an intolerable danger to children from having trucks run along Gordon Rd, Mosgiel’s main street, resulting in a series of near-misses.
Government and Dunedin City Council planners should not wait for a tragedy to create a catalyst to get the bypass project moving, Mr Simms said.
"We would like to do this before there is a tragedy, not after," he said.
Potential development of a freight depot near Mosgiel — using rail and probably resulting in fewer truck movements in Dunedin and to Port Chalmers, but adding to traffic pressures in Mosgiel — brought more urgency to the situation, Mr Simms said.
Older motorists already feared using Gordon Rd, State Highway 87, within the town, Mr Simms said.
Mr Simms said a public meeting in Mosgiel’s Coronation Hall on Tuesday night attracted a capacity crowd of about 380 people and the community was clear about the need for a bypass.
The debate now was about the most appropriate route, he said.
The community board previously argued the issue languished in the too-hard basket for more than 20 years.
Dunedin city councillor Jim O’Malley told the meeting it would take five to six years before any construction might start on a bypass.
Mr Simms said yesterday he hoped the timeframe might be "shortened up".
Port Otago chief executive Kevin Winders supported the community board’s call to get planning for a bypass under way.
Mosgiel was experiencing both residential and commercial growth and the implications needed to be managed proactively, Mr Winders said.
Mr Winders told the meeting about possible development of a freight depot and more rail capacity near Mosgiel and said ideas had been presented to Fonterra.
Fonterra global supply chain director Santiago Aon said the company supported initiatives that improved network efficiency, resilience and competitiveness of New Zealand’s supply chain.
"Fonterra is in early discussions with Port Otago at present and is unable to comment further," he said. — Additional reporting Hamish MacLean
