Motorists should have realistic expectations on construction of the proposed $19 million downriver replacement for the heritage-listed 1926 single-lane bridge on State Highway 6, he said.
The new bridge is ranked lowly on NZTA's benefit-cost scale because the current bridge deals with a "modest" 6000 vehicles a day, is a low accident area and is subject to traffic delays only when the Remarkables Ski Area empties during winter afternoons.
The main benefits of the bridge were its value as part of the South Island's "premier tourist route," and its importance to the resort's development, particularly south of Frankton.
Mr Dowsett was in Queenstown recently for a briefing with Queenstown Lakes District Council management and consultants from Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), the Australian-based engineering firm awarded the design contract in May.
Mr Dowsett said the bridge's low priority meant a previously listed 2016-17 start date could not be guaranteed.
"To be quite blunt, if we were in a better environment with more funding for roading, we would be looking at a date for construction," he said.
