The Branxholme pipeline upgrade is set to replace more than 10km of existing pipeline to ensure residents of Invercargill and Bluff continue to have access to clean, healthy drinking water.
Council infrastructure group manager Erin Moogan said work to install the new pipeline was scheduled to progress from Victoria Ave into Kelvin St yesterday.
Its arrival in the area would mean changes to traffic management.
"We’re on the final push to the end of this key infrastructure upgrade.
"We are really pleased with how the project is tracking."
Work in Kelvin St was expected to take about three months to complete and would be carried out block-by-block.
During this time, the eastern lane of Kelvin St — closest to Queens Park — would be closed to traffic, and no parking would be available on this side of the road as the project progressed north from Gala St.
"We know that moving into a main thoroughfare of the inner-city is going to present some challenges for our community, and we’re really encouraged by how positive the feedback on the project has been so far.
"We’d strongly advise residents to plan their journeys in advance — whether they’re walking, biking, driving, or simply parking their car."
As well as work to install the new pipeline along Kelvin St, additional work would be undertaken in River St.
"We have worked hard to minimise disruption as much as possible while the Branxholme pipeline upgrade has been under way.
"We really appreciate the community’s patience as we get increasingly closer to the finish line."
"This project is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure upgrade.
"Once complete, Invercargill and Bluff will have a strong, resilient new pipeline with a projected lifespan of another 100 years.
"This is a hugely important piece of infrastructure for our entire community."
Work on the project began in August 2022.
It is set to be completed by the middle of this year.
The upgraded pipeline will stretch from the Ōreti River at the Branxholme Water Treatment Plant to the water tower in Gala St, bolstering water supply to Invercargill and Bluff.
— APL
