A report will be prepared in time for the council’s infrastructure services committee meeting in October.
The prevalence of trucks in Gordon Rd, State Highway 87, has continued to cause disquiet in the town and the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board has lately advocated to again have the issue put on the council’s radar.
Councillors agreed during annual plan deliberations this year to request a report.
A council spokesman said the idea of a heavy-traffic bypass dated back many years and it was originally envisaged some heavy vehicles would be re-routed away from Gordon Rd to improve the safety and amenity of the street.
The report now being prepared by council staff would provide detail on the process "by which the bypass would be considered for further investigation" as part of a regional land transport plan and the council’s 2024-34 long-term plan.
"No decisions or funding commitments have been made," he said.
The community board argued during an annual plan hearing trucks presented a serious safety issue, particularly endangering children and elderly people, "who should be able to use the heart of Mosgiel without fear".
It was argued the community was dissuaded from using Gordon Rd.
"The trucks destroy what should be a vibrant main street."
The board’s submission said the issue had languished in the too-hard basket for more than 20 years.
It quoted from a 2013 integrated transport strategy, where a major safety and accessibility upgrade of the town centre was signalled.
"The key challenge in Mosgiel is to manage traffic and freight demands in a way that enables improvement of the amenity and safety within the Mosgiel town centre, particularly for vulnerable users, to ensure the vitality of the centre.
"Providing for vulnerable users is particularly important in Mosgiel, as there is a high proportion of elderly residents and young people ... Existing safety issues in Mosgiel have also led to its identification as a high priority," the strategy said.
Community board chairman Andrew Simms said the board was keen to engage with the whole community about the need for a bypass.
"While this is a long-term project, the board needs to hear from the Mosgiel community now to establish the level of support for a heavy-traffic bypass," the board said in a Facebook post last week.
A public meeting is to be held at Coronation Hall, Mosgiel, on July 18.
