A cycle and pedestrian underpass under State Highway 8 at Clyde and seal extension of the Nuggets Rd in the Catlins will become a reality after funding was approved for the projects this week.
The Regional Land Transport Committee granted a total of $3.4 million to various roading projects.
The committee has two pools to grant money for projects.
One pool is for large projects, worth more than $3 million, and is made up of about $85 million, while the other pool, made up of $15 million, is for projects worth less than $3 million.
The smaller projects must fall within the areas of Clutha, Central Otago, and Waitaki District Councils, Transit New Zealand, and Otago Regional Council.
The Dunedin City Council is also able to bid for funds, but only for rural seal extensions.
The committee approved seven projects.
The Waitaki District Council was granted $212,000 for an extension on Wansbeck St, to provide a safe tourist route to the blue penguin colony.
It also received $62,000 for a harbourside walkway-cycleway to the blue penguin colony.
The Dunedin City Council was granted $390,000 to seal Seal Point Rd, on the Otago Peninsula.
Seal extensions of Karoro Creek Rd and Ahuriri Flat Rd, both in the Catlins, were granted to the Clutha District Council.
Those two projects were granted $1.18 million.
The Clutha District Council was granted $1.06 million to investigate, design, and construct the seal extension of the Nuggets Rd.
The project would provide safer routes for tourists and improve driving conditions for adjacent properties.
Investigation and design will be carried out over the next 12 months, and construction will start some time next year and finish in 2011.
Transit NZ was granted $500,000 to build the cycle and pedestrian underpass between the Otago Central Rail Trail and Clyde, going under State Highway 8.
The underpass would be constructed next summer.
