The one-way street system separated cycle lanes project, through central and north Dunedin, is nearing completion.
NZ Transport Agency senior project manager Simon Underwood said work was now under way on the final 1.2km northbound leg of State Highway 1, from Queens Gardens to Albany St.
The project is due to be fully completed in the first quarter of next year, perhaps by February.
Every effort was being made by the contractors to minimise delays and ''we ask people to be patient as crews work hard to complete this job'', Mr Underwood said.
Fulton Hogan has an $8million contract to build the new cycle lanes on the north and southbound legs of the SH1 one-way system between the Dunedin Botanic Garden and Queens Gardens.
The southbound work had been undertaken first.
With its central city environment and many intersections, busy driveways and limited parking, the one-way system was a ''highly controlled and constrained'' part of the Dunedin's highway network.
This meant that detours and closures were ''never an option'' during the construction of the cycle lanes, because it was essential to have both lanes of the highway open during peak travel times, Mr Underwood said.
The cycle lane design used pre-cast concrete islands to keep cyclists and traffic safely apart, saving construction time and money.
Three-quarters of the project had been completed, and a ''major catalyst'' for the work had been a strong desire by NZTA, the community and the Dunedin City Council to improve safety on the one-way system.
This came after cycle fatalities in 2011 and 2012, and 2000 submissions were made seeking separated cycleways to improve safety for cyclists and motorists.
Several safety improvements had already been made during the project, including re-programming traffic signals to ''hold'' turning traffic, with greater use of red arrows, to make it safer for pedestrians to cross.
Barnes Dance crossings would be installed early next year at the Albany St intersections within the one-way system.
That would improve access for cyclists to the southbound section of the cycle lane between Albany St and Queens Gardens, he said.
