Concrete kerb blocks were installed by the New Zealand Transport Agency this month to protect vegetation planted recently in Miller Rd, near Airport Rd.
The plants went in as a joint project between Dunedin Airport and community groups.
Momona resident Dean Matheson said up to 11 cars were parked further along the road at times, and he feared there could be an accident.
"If a truck and a milk tanker were trying to pass these cars, something's going to get hit.''
One car had been parked in the area for more than a month and another was left in a ditch over a week ago, Mr Matheson said.
People usually parked their cars on the road to avoid paying for parking at the airport, he said.
"You're always going to get people who are going to try to do something cheaper.
"You're never going to stop it - that's the problem.''
Dunedin Airport chief executive Richard Roberts said he had been involved in the kerb block project and was in favour of it.
"I think the parking of cars down there, on the land that had been planted to try to make it look a lot nicer, was pretty disappointing.''
The airport planned to put more plants on that section of the roadside, Mr Roberts said.
However, he said he was not against airport customers parking on roads outside the airport.
"It's people's choice to park on the road and I'm not going to stand in the way of that. But we tried to get that gateway to the city and people literally parked on it and damaged it.''
NZTA Coastal Otago maintenance contract manager Nick Rodger said the kerb blocks were installed to protect rhododendrons planted on the roadside.
He was not aware of the safety concerns raised by Mr Matheson and would look into the issue, he said.
