Otago Regional Council (ORC) appreciates the bridge closure, as part of the Leith Flood Protection Scheme, has been an inconvenience to locals and people coming into the area.

ORC General Manager Operations Dr Gavin Palmer said, “We have been able to complete works to a point where we can safely open a walkway across the bridge to allow pedestrians through. Pedestrian access will be available from Friday 11 October, however there will be periodic shutdowns during work hours to safely facilitate some of the works. Notice of these shutdowns will be available at the bridge crossing and on ORC’s Facebook page as soon as they become known.”

“Works are continuing, and all relevant safety checks must be completed at each stage of the project,” Dr Palmer said. “We need to make sure the bridge is returned to full load-bearing capacity before we can reopen to vehicles, and we expect this to be completed by mid-November.”

Works will continue in the river in the vicinity of the bridge after it is reopened, but this is unlikely to affect vehicles or pedestrians.

The Leith Flood Protection Scheme at the Dundas St bridge is the final engineering stage prior to completion. Spanning over a decade, the project has involved a series of engineering modifications along the length of the Leith, planned to control floodwaters and help reduce the likelihood of it overflowing and flooding Dunedin city. This final stage has included putting in a culvert next to the bridge to allow water to spill over into it when the river is on flood, reducing the impact of high floodwaters.

For more information about the history of this project, visit www.orc.govt.nz/leithfloodprotectionscheme

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