The audit, commissioned by the council and carried out by Montgomery Watson Harza last month, found the road's narrow width - between 5.5m and 6.5m - and lack of road shoulders was the most critical issue threatening the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.
The audit's findings prompted council senior traffic engineer Bruce Conaghan to recommend - in a report to be considered at Monday's infrastructure services committee meeting - that land be designated to allow for road widening "at some time in the future".
That was despite some community opposition to the move, led by Riccarton Rd Action Group and the Riccarton Rd West Safety Society, which wanted the road made safer by removing its heavy traffic.
The opposition has already prompted action group secretary Glen Munn to threaten to take the council to the Environment Court, to fight any road widening plans.
"They [the council] don't listen. They are just pushing ahead with something that we don't want as a street of residents," she said yesterday.
"We are going to fight them every step of the way and it will end up in the Environment Court."
Council transportation operations manager Graeme Hamilton also conceded a legal fight could be brewing.
"I think there are people . . . that buy in an area and don't want to see any change in an area after they have bought. That's a fairly natural human reaction.
"There will always be the situation where it's necessary to litigate an outcome."
The council's safety audit found the critical issues to be addressed to improve safety were the road's width, lack of sealed shoulders - principally for cyclists - and visibility at intersections and driveways.
There was a "low level" of pedestrian and equestrian activity on the road, but still merit in providing an adjacent shared "bridle path" in the future to accommodate cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders as demand increased.
Residents who attended a recent community meeting to discuss concerns about the road wanted other measures, including signage changes, a reduced 50kmh speed limit or temporary lower limit until a speed limit review was carried out, and the introduction of speed humps.
Their concerns were highlighted in February with the death of 36-year-old refuse collector Andrew Sime - the second fatality on the road in 16 months - who died after being struck by a van while working.
However, the report to be considered next week found signage changes "would provide little real value"; the road's speed limit was "appropriate"; speed humps were unnecessary because "measured speeds were consistent" with other similar roads; and a speed limit review had already been undertaken in 2003.
Instead, $3.24 million for road widening and other safety work was included in the council's draft long-term council community plan (LTCCP) budgets, spread over 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Cr Andrew Noone - chairman of the infrastructure services committee - said the project would depend on the success of a pending application for additional funding from the New Zealand Transport Agency's regional land transport committee.
Cr Noone said Riccarton Rd was an important link for the Taieri, and council would be "unwise" to ignore the findings of a safety audit.
However, in his view, "a bit of middle ground" could yet be found between concerned residents opposed to road widening and the council.
He was not convinced the road's use by pedestrians and horse riders warranted such a wide bridal path, as planned, and believed a narrower cycle lane might suffice.
However, he too acknowledged the debate could be heading to court.
"We are aware that there are some land owners who are strongly opposed to any widening of the road . . . that process obviously is available to the landowners and we have got to respect their views."
