Part of Oamaru's main street is to get a half-million dollar make-over, including heritage-style kerbing and channelling on one side of lower Thames St.
$A515,615 contract has been awarded to Fulton and Hogan for the project, from Meek to Itchen Sts, which will start next week and take five weeks to complete.
Businesses in lower Thames St have been consulted since early December about the work, and changes have been made to some aspects of the project to meet their concerns about any disruption to trade.
Waitaki District Council assets group manager Neil Jorgensen told the council meeting on Tuesday that included carrying out the project later than first planned and retaining parking against the kerb.
The street would have at least two lanes running throughout the project.
Mr Jorgensen said the redevelopment was originally timetabled to be done three years ago, but delayed because of more urgent work elsewhere.
However, the work now had to be done because the road deteriorated during wet weather.
"It has to be done now, otherwise it will be full of potholes," he said.
The work had been approved by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust because of the heritage values of lower Thames St.
