We’re making SH88 Dunedin to Port Chalmers safer for everyone, by providing an attractive and secure off highway route for pedestrians and cyclists and increasing safety for other road users.
The 5km SH88 St Leonard to Port Chalmers shared path completes the final link in a continuous 10km off-highway walking and cycling link from Dunedin to Port Chalmers, and makes cycling a safer, easier, and healthier way of moving between Dunedin and Port Chalmers.
Shared path information sheet [PDF, 5 MB]
Road safety is a high priority for the government and a major focus for Waka Kotahi. Everyone should be able to get to where they’re going safely - whether they’re driving, walking, cycling, or riding a motor bike.
This project is part of our investment in safer infrastructure to support New Zealand’s Road to Zero strategy, that sets us on a path to achieve Vision Zero, an Aotearoa New Zealand where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads. Steady progress towards this target would mean approximately 750 fewer people are killed and 5,600 less seriously injured on our roads over the next 10 years.
Construction funding was approved in 2019 for the SH88 safety improvements, including building the last section of the SH88 shared walking and cycling path between St Leonards and Port Chalmers. Work started in early 2020 but has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This section of shared path is expected to open in mid-2023.
A staged approached is being taken to on-highway safety improvement work. Side safety barrier are being installed in high-risk locations on the sections of SH88 between Maia and Port Chalmers with the safety of cyclists an important consideration. Further highway safety improvements will coincide with the completion of the final stage of the Dunedin to Port Chalmers shared path.
Last updated: June 2022
$37–43 million funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency from the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).
CloseThe biggest change is a timber boardwalk along the shores of Blanket Bay. The original design involved harbour reclamation work to widen and extend the outer edge of the rail causeway out in the bay. This would have seen the existing railway line moved onto reclaimed land, to provide enough room for the shared path.
More in-depth investigation work highlighted significant risks around the settlement of the reclaimed land, plus considerable construction challenges. A boardwalk taking shared path users around the edge of Blanket Bay offered a good alternative This section of path will feature a viewing platform with information panels about the history of the heritage seawall alongside the boardwalk.
CloseThe contractor, Downer, started setting up on site in November 2019 with construction work getting underway in January 2020.
CloseWe expect all safety work associated with this project, and the final stage of the Shared Path between St Leonards and Port Chalmers to be completed in the first half of 2023.
CloseThe last leg of the shared path is one of the most geographically demanding cycle safety projects being built by the Transport Agency.
The project team will have to contend with the lack of natural space for the path in a demanding coastal marine environment. Creating the space required involves the following:
Safety barriers, to help prevent cars crashing and ending up in the harbour, will be installed at high risk rural sections of SH88 between Dunedin and Port Chalmers.
Other safety improvements associated with this project including improved road markings and signage will be carried out in parallel with work on sections of final leg of the shared path between St Leonards and Port Chalmers.
We are also looking at possible safety improvements to the SH88/Finch Street intersection. We will share these with the community and key stakeholders once we’ve they are finalised.
CloseA safety review of all the barriers identified those which could be installed ahead of constructing the path, without compromising the safety of cyclists.
The design of these select sites allows for the same, or in some cases, more room for cyclists who choose to ride on the highway instead using the shared path.
While these barriers won’t change the safety status quo for those cycling on SH88 they could mean the difference between life and death for motorists if they leave the road and crash into the harbour.
CloseThe Dunedin City Council. They already do this for the Dunedin to St Leonards section of the path that’s been operating since 2012. Highway safety improvement work carried out as part of this project remains the responsibility of the Transport Agency.
CloseKiwiRail’s continued support is central to the success of this project. The completion of the shared path relies on their continued willingness to accommodate sections of the path located within their rail corridor. The project team meets regularly with KiwiRail as over 2km of the path is within the rail corridor.
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