Dunedin intersection reviews

ViaStrada was engaged by Dunedin City Council to develop concept options for improving walking and cycling conditions at three challenging locations in the Otepoti Dunedin Pathways network. The three sites — Musselburgh Rise/Royal Crescent, Portobello Road/Portsmouth Drive, and Rockyside Terrace/Barnes Drive — each present distinct safety and connectivity challenges for pedestrians and cyclists seeking to navigate busy arterial roads. The work involved crash analysis, sight distance assessment, speed and volume data collection, and evaluation of existing infrastructure against current Austroads and TCD Manual standards.

At each location, ViaStrada developed a range of lower-cost concept options for DCC to evaluate and prioritise for the Long Term Plan, balancing safety improvements against cost, parking retention, and network connectivity objectives. Options ranged from raised dual crossings and signal treatments at Musselburgh Rise, to geometric and priority changes at the complex Portobello Road/Portsmouth Drive intersection serving over 1,200 daily active mode users, to new crossing connections linking the proposed Dunedin Tunnels Trail through Caversham to the city centre at Rockyside Terrace.

The project demonstrates ViaStrada's capability in urban active transport design — combining rigorous safety assessment with practical, cost-conscious options development tailored to real-world council constraints. Working collaboratively with DCC's planning and engineering teams, the work provides a foundation for investment prioritisation that will meaningfully improve safety and accessibility for Dunedin's growing community of walkers and cyclists.