​Phase two of Milton main street work underway

Clutha District Council has begun phase two of the Milton main street upgrade to underground the overhead powerlines and the installation of a new water main along Union Street, from High Street to Abercrombie Street.

In conjunction with upgrading the water supply, underground power cabling will be installed in the footpath on both sides of Union Street within the project area.

Clutha District Council Chief Executive Steve Hill said phase one of the work has progressed ahead of the contractor’s initial timeline which involved replacing stormwater and wastewater pipes due to the age of this infrastructure and to allow for future growth and to improve capacity in case of heavy rain events.

“Underground power lines will improve the visual amenity of the main street and ensure safe, efficient and reliable power is delivered to the Milton community.”

Council’s contractor Andrew Haulage Ltd have begun directional drilling to avoid any major road closures. There will be approximately six locations along Union Street from Arthur Street to outside Caltex where directional drilling will take place.

Once the drilling has been completed, the contractors will move into installing the underground services, both power and water on the footpath area.

Due to the location of the works, unfortunately some disruption is unavoidable.

“This week they are working in Grey Street with direct drilling across Union Street.

“There will be no access to Gray Street off Union Street however the public will be still able to access Grey Street via Ajax Street,” Mr Hill said.

To limit disruption, the work is being completed in stages, to try and minimise the impact to businesses and residents as much as is feasibly possible.

The contractor will work to ensure there is access to allow people to enter shops and houses. Where there are interruptions to the footpath access and the parking lanes, one side of the path and road will be clear.

Mr Hill said PowerNet would oversee the power cable relocation work to connect properties to the underground power supply. Then, all existing power poles and overhead lines will be removed, and new street lighting will be installed.

Once the underground cables are installed, there will be a short, planned power outage to enable the new cables to be connected to the electricity network. Affected customers will be notified of the outage by PowerNet and their electricity retailers prior to this outage.

Traffic will be able to travel in both directions but there will be safety measures and a 30km speed restriction in place.

The work site will be surrounded by safety fencing to protect people, the worksite and traffic. Traffic controllers are on site during the day to assist as well.

Improving Milton’s main street was one of the top priorities identified in the Our Place Milton community plan and the Council’s long-term plan. The main street is a busy route for motorists on State Highway 1, as well as a major focal point for the community, with many important buildings, shops, and public spaces. This project will replace critical infrastructure and is a big step towards revitalising Union Street, making it a more attractive destination.

The Milton Streetscape landscaping is a separate project and along with a new footpath, will be completed in the future.

The council appreciates your patience and understanding throughout this entire project and acknowledges the long-term disruption to the main street.