The Dunedin City Council today temporarily closed part of the road until the boulder could be removed from the area.
The DCC was alerted to the unstable state of the boulder, located on private land above Blueskin Rd, south of Reynoldstown Rd, by the landowner earlier today.
DCC general manager community services Simon Pickford says the boulder appeared to have come loose from a larger segment of rock yesterday.
The road has been closed, with diversions in place for motorists and residents, and an engineer visited yesterday afternoon to assess the stability of the boulder.
The engineer’s assessment was that the boulder was a hazard, which meant the road could not be reopened until the boulder was removed.
The engineer has also assessed any threat to houses located below the road, in nearby Careys Bay, but determined the risk was low and no evacuation was needed.
Despite this, the DCC is taking a precautionary approach by keeping the section of road closed and will position two shipping containers on the road below the boulder tonight, to protect houses should the boulder come loose.
The move is “definitely a precaution” but should give residents extra confidence their homes remain safe.
DCC staff will also go door-to-door tonight, speaking to the owners of properties below the affected area to provide information and reassurance.
“We want to make sure everyone who needs to know is kept informed, but there is no need for alarm,” Mr Pickford says.
Engineers will be back on site first thing tomorrow morning to assess the situation again and consider options to remove the boulder.
More information about diversions will be available on the DCC website.
