Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich yesterday confirmed his push to preserve a realistic chance of reverting to two-way traffic in George St, should conversion to one-way traffic produce disappointing results, was at an end.
"Really, it’s in the too-hard basket," he said.
In 2021, the Dunedin City Council approved one-way traffic for three blocks of George St, and a pedestrian focus for a revamp, but the project continued to be contentious, even as it progressed.
Mr Radich argued last year the design should at least be flexible enough to allow changes to be reversed without great expense.
Council staff produced a report this month about potential implications of any redesign and a request at the infrastructure services committee for information about options to promote flexibility was voted down, 9-8.
That left Mr Radich with little room to move and he conceded time was against him.
Costs and potential for disruption were hurdles, and appetite for flexibility was insufficient to push forward, he said.
Mr Radich said he had not come quickly to the view flexibility was too difficult to pursue.
"I certainly wrestled with it."
Cr David Benson-Pope, a critic of efforts to revise the design mid-project, said the issue had been an unwelcome distraction.
"I’m glad the mayor has abandoned a bad idea," he said.
The infrastructure committee meeting was told the cost of standing down the contractor, Isaac Construction, to accommodate any redesign would have started at $75,000 a day, before levelling off.
This led Cr Jim O’Malley to estimate a delay in construction might cost between $2million and $5million.
Cr Bill Acklin, who in December backed the mayor’s call for the council to explore how flexibility could be incorporated into the remainder of the project, said yesterday the eventual outcome was disappointing.
"The mayor has done a fantastic job of giving it his best attention," Cr Acklin said.
He expressed doubt the previous council had taken the right approach and getting past this was a long shot, he said.
Cr Brent Weatherall said the redevelopment so far looked attractive, but he had strong doubts it would produce the desired results.
Constricted traffic flow in the middle of the city would be harmful, he said.
Cr Weatherall, who is also a George St retailer, predicted the impact of "road blocks" would be huge.
"All I want is for Dunedin to be able to move," he said.
The first block of the revamped George St was reopened to traffic, one way, in November last year.
Work has since been progressing in the two-way Knox block and started this month in the malls block, between St Andrew St and Hanover St.
The George St upgrade is due to be completed in 2024.
