Council group manager infrastructure Erin Moogan said the next phase of the project was less about roadworks and more about artworks.
Contractors started last year, resulting in changes to traffic flow in the area, which included the controversial diversion, adding 20 minutes to the drive to the city centre for Otatara residents.
Ms Moogan said some time this month, a large-scale sculpture and design elements developed by Waihopai Runaka would be added to the Stead St shared pathway and the area being redeveloped along Airport Ave.
Waihopai Runaka cultural narrative facilitator Keri Whaitiri said these works celebrated and reflected the beauty, bounty and importance of the Koreti estuary, particularly as an interface between freshwater tributaries and Foveaux Strait.
While this work is tracking to be completed soon, under the original $15.5 million project budget, the council alerted disruption was likely to continue in the area until next year due to Environment Southland work to replace the ageing Stead St pump station.
During an infrastructure committee meeting earlier this week, Ms Moogan said this work would require not only work to be done at the facility but also involved work on pipework under the road.
"So we expect diversions will be in place for a period of time again."
She also indicated the council would likely need to reseal the road twice in the next 12 months due to this work.
The council held off the resealing of Stead St while the upgrade work was in place, but contractors had advised the road was already "starting to breaking apart".
She said the council had pushed this matter as far as it could, but it had to make the proactive choice to reseal the road as soon as the city council’s work finished.
However, this would mean the road would probably needed to resealed again when Environment Southland’s complete their work at the pump station, she said.
"It is actually a better outcome for the road to do a structured cut into it after its being resealed than it is to wait to reseal that road even longer until that pump station work has been completed.
"So not ideal, but a better overall outcome."
In September, Environment Southland said there was no intention for permanent road closures in Stead St throughout the duration of the project, but Ms Moogan confirmed any traffic plan changes would need to be approved by the council.
