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Otago Daily Times

Bath St upgrade moving on to next stage

Road surface work is the next phase of an upgrade in Bath St, central Dunedin. The most complex part of the project, replacing old underground pipes, has been completed. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN The pipes have been installed in Dunedin's Bath St and the focus of an upgrade there has shifted to work above ground. All the planned Three Waters infrastructure work had been completed in the central city street as designed, the Dunedin City Council said. The programme included replacing underground pipes from the 19th century that had deteriorated badly. A water course was piped in about 1887 to allow development of the area, but there were risks of the pipe collapsing, a sinkhole forming and flooding. Ongoing maintenance costs were high, the council said. Senior project manager Susil Gunathilake said the upgrade was a complex project being delivered in challenging conditions. "With the highest-risk component now resolved, we remain on track to meet the latest timeframes and budget," he said. Two minor defects in new pipe connections were identified as part of the quality assurance process. "This is a normal part of any big project and remedying them will require only small excavations to provide access," Mr Gunathilake said. "Repairs are expected to be straightforward." A defects period applied and this meant problems could be identified and remedied by the contractor at no expense to the council. "Other than the standard defects period, work to install the new Three Waters infrastructure is now complete and we're progressing streetscape works above ground as planned," Mr Gunathilake said. "Our contractors will be able to rectify the defects identified while work on the roading upgrade continues." In September last year, the council highlighted a change of plan was necessary because of challenges that included unidentified utilities, some existing where they had not been expected to be located, archaeological finds and unexpected issues with the 326 Moray Pl building under which a pipe was being laid. The project began in April last year and is due to be completed by November.