Heavy seas kicked up by storms during the past two weeks, with more predicted in the next few days, have continued to erode the coastal banks along the Oamaru to Waianakarua coastal road, a growing tourist route and a vital detour if State Highway 1 is closed.
Emergency work is expected to start this week on 50m of the Kakanui to Waianakarua Rd, about 650m north of where it turns inland at the track to the Waianakarua River mouth.
The road there has been reduced to one lane where the sea has eaten away the bank almost to the edge of the seal.
Roading assets manager Gary Woock said yesterday heavy seas continued to cause erosion along the coast road as the council tried to come to grip with the extent of the problem, options and the cost of solutions.
"Overall, the solutions are in the millions rather than thousands of dollars," he said.
Emergency work on one of the worst areas at the Beach-Thousands Acre Rds intersection appears to be working.
Rock armouring placed along the bank had halted erosion and the sea was restoring the shingle beach below it.
"It's looking quite good," he said.
Part of Beach Rd between Gardners and Thousand Acre Rds has been temporarily closed by the council.
Traffic is being diverted along Gardners Rd, with a 50kmh speed limit.
Along other areas on Beach Rd and the Kakanui-Waianakarua Rd, the sea is getting closer to the road, including just south of All Day Bay where some work has been carried out.
The council has established a special sub-committee of councillors Pam Spite and Alistair Mavor to investigate the problem and recommend solutions.
Mr Woock expected their report would go to a council meeting next month.
Between 30 and 40 questionnaires had been sent out to affected property owners along the coastal route, with 15 returned so far.
Replies were still "trickling in".
They would be evaluated for the sub-committee.
Discussions had also been held with the Otago Regional Council on solutions and with the Dunedin City Council on how it was coping with coastal erosion in its area.
