Rain, snow and flooding has caused at least $100,000 damage to Central Otago roads but the full cost, particularly to back-country roads, may not be known until summer.
Central Otago District Council roading manager Julie Muir said some roads, Danseys Pass for example, needed geotechnical assessments before any decisions or cost estimates could be made and that could take some time.
The pass is closed due to an active slip about 3km above the hotel that began on June 17 and could be ''potentially very costly'' to fix.
A lot of the damaged roads were gravel and a lot were classed as back-country or low-use roads.
Those roads were not programmed to be graded or receive maintenance until October and so the full effect of the winter weather might not be known until November.
For two cases that were known, Home Hills Run Rd and Little Kyeburn Rad, both in Maniototo, the estimated cost was $60,000.
Sealed roads did not escape the effects of the weather either.
Roads in Bannockburn and Tarras were damaged by streams created by flooding or blocked irrigation races.
Ms Muir said work to repair roads was taking place ''all over'' the district but it would be at least another month before council had a good idea of all the incidents of damage to higher-use roads.
She said there was no special funding for roading in these circumstances and while there might be an ''opportunity for a little bit of funding'' from the New Zealand Transport Agency, most of the cost would come from other work being deferred.
As well as in Danseys Pass, some bridges would need special assessments. The Scott Lane bridge near Kyeburn was damaged by logs washed downstream.
The Omakau bridge was also affected by logs and debris washed downstream but Ms Muir said it was thought there was no damage there.
Despite not knowing full costs yet, she said it was thought the repair bill would be lower than the Waitaki District or Dunedin City councils were facing.
