Work to replace the Humber St bridge in Oamaru, on one of the main routes to the South Hill, has been delayed by the Waitaki District Council.
The council had advertised the bridge would be closed from Monday until about the end of September for contractor Breen Construction Company Ltd to replace, with the work costing almost $600,000.
However, with road reconstruction work on lower Thames St affecting access to the South Hill as well, the council has now delayed the replacement until early July.
The bridge will be closed until mid-October.
The lower Thames St road works have already caused disruption to traffic. To avoid them, some local drivers going to and from the South Hill have switched to using Humber St.
Council asset manager Neil Jorgensen said yesterday the council did not want to cause further disruption until the lower Thames St work was completed.
Work on the Humber St bridge would not start until sealing on Thames St had been completed and the road again had four lanes in operation, he said.
Council roading engineer Graeme Butler said the Humber St bridge renewal was an important project.
"The replacement of the bridge will ensure that all road vehicles can use it for years to come," he said.
The council realised there had been a lot of improvement work on the lower Thames St area recently.
"While we are confident that this work will result in improvements for the community, we also thank businesses and residents for their patience through the development," Mr Butler said.
