Pipe Upgrade

Lower Beach Street will be subject to a two week closure to enable the instalment of a new sewer pipe, Queenstown Lakes District Council water services manager Garry McGraw said.

The budgeted $1.3 million upgrade of the Sunshine Bay main will get underway on Monday (May 11) with the two week closure of lower Beach Street scheduled to commence from 18 May.

“The street is narrow and whilst we can keep the traffic flowing on Lake Esplanade (the 840 metre line will go from the YHA Hostel to the Kathmandu retail store) Lower Beach Street is more constricted,” Mr McGraw said.

Affected retailers had been consulted and a street liaison person established.

“It’s essential that retailers are kept well informed and that everything is done by the contractors to mitigate the effects on premises and their patrons,” Mr McGraw said.

Signage would be placed on the street to inform shoppers that Beach Street remained open for business and access to pedestrians would be maintained at all times.

The project team for the upgrade was Aurecon NZ Limited, the contractor being Fulton Hogan.

“There is no good time to affect a street closure but we have tried to minimise the impact by undertaking the work during the shoulder season,’ Mr McGraw said.

All work would be carried out within the hours of 7.30am to 6pm.