The Dunedin City Council (DCC) is taking further steps to strengthen the resilience of the water supply to the West Harbour area. As part of its ongoing 3 Waters capital works programme, a new water main will be laid along State Highway 88 (SH88), starting from Roseneath and extending toward St Leonards.
This project connects to work completed earlier this year to install a new water main to the West Harbour community.
The contract for this stage has been awarded to McConnell Dowell. Construction will begin near District Road in Roseneath and progress along SH88 to approximately Wren Lane in St Leonards. DCC is working closely with NZTA and Port Otago to coordinate the project.
While there will be no direct impact on access to individual properties, the wider West Harbour community and all traffic to and from Port Chalmers will be affected. SH88 will be reduced to one lane at all times, excluding public holidays and the Christmas break.
The first stage of work begins on Monday, 15 September, and is expected to take up to 10 weeks. During this period, District Road will be temporarily closed, affecting access to and from Roseneath. However, access will remain available via Shandon Road, including for public transport. Detour signage and reduced speed limits will be in place to support the diversion.
Traffic management will include traffic lights and Stop/Go signs as required. The full project is scheduled for completion by June 2026.
John McAndrew, DCC Group Manager 3 Waters, says, “We acknowledge the disruption this work may cause for West Harbour residents, businesses, and other users of SH88. This project is a vital investment in our city’s infrastructure, ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality drinking water for years to come.”