Dunedin City Council transport delivery manager Ben Hogan said work to replace the damaged culvert beneath Portobello Rd at Turnbulls Bay was expected to take about four months to complete.
The partially collapsed culvert, about 8m deep, caused the 20cm-diameter sinkhole in late October, near where the street intersects with Moerangi St.
The road’s eastbound lane was fenced off for a time and the remaining open lane of traffic controlled by temporary lights until the sinkhole was filled so the road could be reopened to two-way traffic over the holiday period.
Mr Hogan said the council expected the road would remain open to traffic throughout the present work.
Traffic management would be in place and there would be times when the road was reduced to one lane, controlled by traffic lights, or traffic was diverted through the adjoining Fletcher House car park.
However, there was also a possibility that a detour through Highcliff Rd could be required if soil conditions proved unfavourable at the depths required to work on the culvert.
Mr Hogan said replacement of the culvert had been included in the Broad Bay to Turnbulls Bay section of the overall peninsula roading project under way, so as to take advantage of contractor efficiencies and lessen disruption to traffic.
While replacing the damaged culvert, most of the nearby work would be road or shared-path construction.
The section was expected to be completed before June next year.
The council’s Peninsula Connection project is a 16-section road safety and amenity project.
The Otago Peninsula Community Board recently expressed shock at hearing the improvements would not reach Portobello School until 2028.
