Contractors working for the New Zealand Transport Agency began stripping the surface of the road this week, with major resurfacing work beginning next week.
Work on the 1.2km section of road was expected to cost $360,000 and be completed by April 27, NZTA principal adviser Murray Clarke, of Dunedin, said.
The start of work meant lengthy delays for some motorists this week, as the road was reduced to one lane and long queues of vehicles built up either side of the roadworks.
Mr Clarke said major work - requiring traffic flows to be reduced to one lane - would be restricted to between 9am and 4pm each day, to accommodate morning and afternoon commuter traffic, with only minor work outside those hours.
However, motorists were warned to expect delays of five minutes - and possibly longer - at times throughout the resurfacing work, he said.
"There will be times when the traffic builds up, especially around lunchtime, when there could be a 10-minute wait to get through.
"There's no easy answer to it - no detours or anything and not a lot of room to work in," he said.
However, a full-time traffic manager would be on-site throughout the work, monitoring the build-up of queues, and work could cease at times if delays became problematic, he said.
NZTA staff were also mindful three cruise ships were scheduled to visit Dunedin during the work period, and buses carrying tourists to and from Port Chalmers would be given preferential treatment where possible, he said.
NZTA spokesman Bob Nettleton said the work had been "well promoted in advance", with advertising, a letter-drop to affected residents and variable message signs at each end of the work site.
"These signs have been in place since last Friday letting road users know that this work is coming up."
