Disruption looms with major Invercargill CBD roading project
“We want people to continue to shop in the central city area as they normally would over summer.”
Roading crews will work through the night to try to minimise disruption during a major resurfacing project in central Invercargill this summer.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) will resurface Dee, Tay and Clyde Streets, on State Highways 1 and 6 in a project they have acknowledge will cause some disruption.
NZTA has spoked to to affected businesses and adjusted the programme to work through their concerns, NZTA Southland Senior Network Manager Jacob Manson said.
“We fully acknowledge that this work in these heavily trafficked areas will be disruptive. That is why our crews will be operating overnight, so retail and commercial businesses can function during daytimes.”
NZTA will be working nights, 6pm – 6am (Sunday-Thursday) to reduce the impact on road users and businesses.
Work will start at Troopers roundabout from January 5, then Tay St, Dee St and finally Clyde St. Finishing off with the Tweed St roundabout.
The work is expected to take about two months and is scheduled to finish in late February/early March, but it is weather dependent. Wet days will delay the completion date.
The aim is to get the most disruptive work, like the Troopers roundabout and outside Invercargill Central, completed when Invercargill is traditionally the quietest in January.
The team will take a break over the busy Burt Munro Rally weekend (5-8 February).
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Some of the work has already been put off for some time given the impact on the Invercargill central city area, but Manson said the road surfaces can’t wait any longer.
“We’ve waited until Invercargill Central inner-city redevelopment and the Langlands Hotel were built, and Invercargill City Council had completed their stormwater upgrades so we can make sure the new surface won’t be affected by other work,” Manson said.
“We’ve also worked with Fulton Hogan to arrange Dee St footpath repair to coincide with our road resurfacing, reducing the impact to businesses in the area.
“We are also working closely with suppliers of other underground services ahead of our top layer of asphalt being applied. This means that people may see water, wastewater and stormwater pipes going into a trench with temporary cover in place ahead of a final resurfacing a month or so later.
“It may look like crews are working on the same spot more than one time, but in fact this has been carefully staged to fit everyone in without compromising crews’ safety,” Manson said.
“We want people to continue to shop in the central city area as they normally would over summer.”
Manson estimated 8,500 tonnes of asphalt, weighing around the same as more than 120 million cheese rolls (at a generous 69 grams per roll), will be used.
Ahead of this 2025 work programme, Invercargill City Council has its own infrastructure/pipe repairs and replacements to do leading into Christmas and in January:
Tay St/Kelvin St stormwater work November and December.
Dee St/Leet St stormwater work November.
Clyde St/Forth St sewer/wastewater repairs completed by the end of January.
Clyde St watermain renewal completed by the end of January.
Esk St/Dee St stormwater work November.
The team will take a break during Burt Munro week but watch how ugly and congested it will all be