Road upgrades proposed for Queenstown's central business district next year will increase pedestrian safety, but funding shortages means the work could have to be split over two years.
At a meeting yesterday, the utilities committee of the Queenstown Lakes District Council approved design plans for upgrades of parts of Camp St, Memorial St and Brecon St.
The works will involve replacement of existing pavements, and improving pedestrian facilities such as safety islands and build-outs at the intersections of Brecon St-Man St and Camp St- Memorial St.
Budgets for the current financial year and for 2010-2011 are already set, but the council's infrastructure project manager, Lane Vermaas, told the committee the total cost for the upgrades would be higher than the budgeted amount.
At a cost of about $300,000, the Camp St upgrade will come in $20,000 under budget.
The Memorial St project has a budget of $115,000, but looks set to cost $183,000.
The Brecon St project has a budget of $352,000, but will cost around $575,000 to complete, including a full dig-out and reseal of the upper portion of the road near the Skyline gondola.
The committee decided construction of the pedestrian facilities and the cheaper foam bitumen stabilisation work should start in the 2010-2011 year, and council should apply for additional funding for the expensive dig-out and the remainder of the Memorial St project in the 2011-2012 annual plan process
