Jetty Street work starting soon

Dunedin (Tuesday, 16 May 2017) – Work to convert part of Jetty Street to pedestrian use will start at the end of May.

The section of Jetty Street between Cumberland and Vogel Streets will be closed to all traffic, and the section between Vogel and Crawford Streets will be open to service vehicles only. The island on Police Street has been modified to improve access for emergency vehicles.

The Dunedin City Council’s Team Leader Urban Design Crystal Filep says, “The pedestrianisation of Jetty Street is a bold move, and I’d love to see similar projects following in its wake. Beautiful heritage buildings frame well-proportioned streetscapes that are not always used to their full potential. We have an opportunity in Dunedin to lead the transformation of New Zealand cities.”

With more people moving into the area to live and work, the design will provide an attractive spot for people to relax in the heart of the Warehouse Precinct. Many of the materials for the site are recycled and some have been donated.

An outdoor room will be created under the bridge, with benches made from recycled concrete blocks and macrocarpa, complementing seating along Vogel Street. The area will feature a creative interpretation of bollards as concrete sheep, as well as bluestone paving recycled from old cattle yards, in keeping with the agricultural history of the area.

Another design theme is the area’s history as a jetty. Cycle racks spelling out the word ‘JETTY’ will be installed under the bridge. Part of a ship built in Glasgow 100 years ago will be incorporated into a green wall and community notice board along the bridge abutment, which will link to a nearby community recycling facility.

The recycling facility will have a steel screen stencilled with proofing symbols as a nod to the print industry that was well established in the area in the early 1900s.

Planting will provide shelter and make the area more appealing, while LED lighting will give the area a lift and make it safer.

The work will cost around $550,000 and is expected to take four or five months.

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