Diversions, cones and roadworks have become part of the lives of Invercargill residents — and there are more to come.
Roadworks are taking place throughout the CBD and affecting main roads such as Dee, Tay, Tweed and Leven Sts.
Speaking to the Southland Express this week, Invercargill resident Alison Lang said she could not recall a time when there had been so much work happening all at once.
"I feel frustrated to be honest. It is very annoying and very frustrating.
"Yes, we need to do roadworks — but not this much in one go.
"[There] definitely should be a better control and not have [the CBD] blocked off."
Pig Station owner Lynn Booth agreed, saying the roadworks were also affecting the Leven St business.
"People are avoiding coming to town because they can’t manoeuvre around the streets.
"By the time they spend time and gas, going around the block, trying to find their way around — they just go home.
"We’re lucky in the fact we’ve got one lane open, but we heard from customers they are fighting to try and get here."
She believed their foot traffic had dropped by about a third and she had to reduce staff hours as a result.
"I don’t think [the roadworks] all need to be done at once. I think there could have been a bit of management — everyone has to get every street done at the same time?"
Invercargill Neighbouring Retailers Group chairman and Shoe Clinic owner Ben Fokkens acknowledged the work being done was necessary for the city’s infrastructure, but he said he did question the timing of it.
"But at the same time, thinking of the long term, there isn’t really a good time to be doing this ... I think the big thing for the public is it is a little bit of a hassle but all the local businesses are still open and it’s just about planning extra time to come to the CBD."
Blind Citizens Southland Branch chairwoman Carolyn Weston said while they received information about the roadworks, it had become hard for people with disabilities to navigate them.
"There’s been a lot ... What happens is they start working on roadworks and then they go away half finished and they don’t work on it for a while and then they come back and do some more and then go away and do another job. So it seems to take a long time."
Invercargill City Council group manager infrastructure Erin Moogan said the council was working on several significant projects across the city and, while at times there could be multiple locations with road cones and traffic management in place, they played "a vital role" in ensuring everybody could use the roading network safely.
"We understand that roadworks can cause an inconvenience, especially at this time of the year, but they are necessary to keep critical infrastructure operational for the city."
She explained the $1.68million work under way in Leet St was in relation to foul sewer and stormwater renewals.
While the highway crossing is nearly completed, the rest of the job will be finished by February 2025.
Meanwhile, the roadworks at Kelvin St/Tay St, which have a contract value of $330,000, are expected to be completed in early December.
Ms Moogan said on Clyde St, contractors were doing water main renewal, while at the Tweed St roundabout, work was expected to be completed by December 20, with the final section to recommence in early January, due for completion in early February 2025.
The contract value was $760,000.
She said the work at Gala St had just finished and was part of the ongoing Branxholme pipeline upgrade, which was due to be completed in April 2025.
"This overall project is expected to cost $27m."
The Leven St foul sewer and water main upgrades will pause for the Christmas break by December 9 and restart in early January, continuing until April 2025. The cost for this work is valued at $892,000.
Ms Moogan also advised there was more work to come, including road resealing on Dee and Tay Sts.
"We appreciate road users’ patience and understanding while we make the most of the good weather over the coming months to complete important work in the city.
"We recommend installing the mobile app Antenno on your smartphone to keep up to date with the ongoing works in the city."
