Central Otago District Council (CODC) is on track with Clyde’s heritage precinct infrastructure work and is exploring options to allocate more resources to it, with the goal of finishing as soon as possible, a spokesperson said.

CODC senior land development engineer Dan Kirkman said there was a possibility the work could be completed ahead of the December 1 target.  

A Central local, who wanted to remain anonymous said Clyde was “like a ghost town at the moment” because of the road closures.

Dan said CODC was in the planning phase of a national level marketing campaign to showcase Clyde, when the work on the street has been completed.

“We recognise the hurt Clyde has been experiencing.

“It’s fair to compensate by pulling a good marketing campaign together that Clyde is open for business.”

The Central App asked Dan if any economic relief or reimbursement could help businesses who were impacted by the works.

“[CODC] does not provide economic relief in the form of rate reductions or reimbursements. 

“To support local businesses, we’ve taken steps such as putting up additional signage to clearly indicate that businesses are open and pedestrian access is available throughout the project.”

An artist's impression of what the main street in Clyde will look like, once completed. PHOTO: Supplied

On Thursday, last week, there were no workers on site, something that was adding to the frustrations of some business owners, who have been dealing with limited access to their establishments.

Dan said sometimes there are no contractors on site due to other commitments.

"In a district like ours the contractors are sometimes called away to deal with higher priority jobs, sometimes emergency infrastructure repairs in other parts of our district. Sometimes they are waiting for materials and sometimes certain work can only be done in certain weather or temperatures.”

Dan has been sending out email updates relating to the project since May 2023, the frequency has varied; some have been weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on the level of work occurring and disruption.

He said on average he has received two or three queries a week relating to the project.

“We understand that the disruptions caused by the ongoing roadworks are challenging, and we sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience as we carry out these important upgrades. 

“One of the key improvements has been the replacement of the ageing water pipe, which has previously experienced failures and required reactive maintenance.”

Dan said the upgrades would enhance the resilience of Clyde’s essential services, reducing the risk of unplanned closures in the future.

If you have any questions regarding the work contact Dan on [email protected]

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