The next phase of renewing critical underground infrastructure in Dunedin’s Retail Quarter gets underway next week when work begins on George Street’s Malls Block.
DCC General Manager Infrastructure and Development Simon Drew says the main street block, between St Andrew Street and Hanover Street, will be closed to traffic from Monday as contractors begin to replace old pipes in the area.
Mr Drew says pedestrian access will be maintained, shops will remain open and car parking options are available in nearby buildings, so the DCC encourages people to keep supporting local businesses throughout the construction period.
“We’re conscious that as work begins in the Malls Block, work is also underway in George Street’s Knox Row,” he says.
“This approach is deliberate because we need to balance the amount of work to do on the entire project and the time to do it.
“If we are not working on multiple sites at the same time, it would take more than five years to complete the entire project and add significantly to the overall cost. The current programme attempts to balance overall costs and construction needs with disruption impacts.”
Initially the work on the Malls Block will focus on renewing ageing water, wastewater and stormwater pipes – some of which date back to the late 1800s.
The underground work will take about four months to complete and will also involve, at times, a partial closure of the George Street/St Andrew Street intersection.
The focus will then shift to above ground work to create a more people friendly space, with new paving, street furniture, lighting, plantings and public art.
The Malls Block is expected to be completed about September 2023, while the Knox Row block is expected to be finished about August this year.