Yes, the Trust is part of the Project team, although it’s completely driven by DCC & Consultant firms. The Cav. tunnel is controlled by 3Waters department who consider it a H&S risk due to buried sewer & water pipes, gas pipe, and the old 6Kva power cables.
Note, 3Waters (formerly W&W) were responsible for placing those utilities in the tunnel during the 50s/60s/70s. The tunnel itself was open to the public from 1910 through to 2006 without incident. Sadly, when we requested the department to clean up the mud at the start of 2006 they then deemed it a health risk and closed it.
Current stance from them is that to make it safe for public use, the sewer pipes need to be re-laid, gas pipes removed or encased, and power cables replaced/relocated to the roofline, then the floor surface re-done.
ODT article about it yesterday:
A few people have been asking me about the very high cost: the design is for an Urban shared path/cycleway (12km) as well as linking into Mosgiel from Wingatui and into Caversham/Dunedin. So we’re talking 3m wide footpaths, overbridges, etc. All designed to WK/NZTA standards (& methodology) as they’ll be part-funding it. An order of magnitude difference to a rural cycle trail, even though we’d always wanted to start with a compacted cycle trail and improve sections as money became available. DCC wanted a fully-designed solution with all potential costs up front. The risk is that the top shelf solution will be seen as too expensive and not be started at all. However, if it gets through then it’ll be a huge asset for the city going forward. Oh, there’s also quite a few millions in associated street-work for both the trail & the ‘Arterial’ cycle lanes.
[Edit] direct link to the paper going to Council, tunnels trail is item #19:
Latest: Tunnels trail near to reality | Otago Daily Times Online News
Council voted 13:1 for Option 2 (full tunnels trail Caversham to Mosgiel and connected Arterial routes) to be included in the Annual Plan deliberations. Just Cr. Vandervis voting against, but his stance is for NO more money to be spent on any cycleways as none of the existing ones are used.
Next step will be for as many people as possible to submit to the Annual Plan in April/May in support of the trail, and for people to speak as well (up to 5 minutes - that’s not long).
Looks like you have achieved that goal nicely!
Have to admit - pretty stoked at the public response!
And there is more!
Yup, although my timing estimates are looking a bit wonky now: they’d been originally bases on 8-10km (Wingatui to Caversham) at 25kph giving a 24 minute commute. The trail is now 15km going from Mosgiel so that’d be over 30 minutes.
Brief update to keep this thread going: at the end of June the Council signed off on the plan to go with the full tunnels trail, and have sent the business case to Waka Kotahi. WK now require detailed designwork of the whole trail. No one is really expecting WK to turn it down, but the political landscape and priorities can always change so no guarantees until the shovelwork begins.
Hey Gerard, any progress on the path through WK?
WK funding detailed designwork now, & will make final decision next year once plans completed and submitted. Still a few speed bumps on the route & design aspects that need to be … flattened, so to speak.
Great stuff Gerard!
And we’re aiming for an Open Day on 14 May (11-2pm) but not fully confirmed or public just yet - hopefully within the next 24 hours once a few details sorted:
Disappointing news, but not surprising with the wider political situation and rates pressure:
Keep up the good fight, @GerardH!
What’s so very very frustrating is the way the DCC had delayed and dragged this project out over years when much of it could have been built by now. Even after NZTA dropped funding last year, they still insist on using NZTA/Urban designs & design contractors to develop a Gold-standard cycleway while the Trust was just trying to get something developed on the ground, with the idea it could be upgraded once Govt. funding became available again. 
Well, the shackles are now off. Perhaps a new era of being able to freely do it in a much more sensible, practical, and frugal way?
Keep fighting @GerardH and please keep us appraised of any recent updates.
I know we can all count on the support of Andrew Simms who has announced his Mayoral bid today! He is a strong proponent of Twin Tunnels Trust and I urge everyone to vote in Andrew for Mayor based on his strong pledge for this critical project as well as promotion of Dunedin to Middlemarch cycleway and decommissioning the loss making Dunedin Railways. Vote Simms!
The Trust (DTTT) had a meeting last night - including having Andrew Simm there for a bit - and after quite a bit of discussion we’re still gonig to push ahead partnering with DCC on their project, despite it being extremely expensive for a very short section. Staff indicated that they will not accept a minimum standard path so it’s their way or nothing sadly. We will also try and get another campaign underway with the Annual Plan when it’s available to get the Project back in. Apparently there are references all through the draft Annual Plan saying how the Tunnels Trail project is good/covering initiatives/targets & generally singing it’s praises, until the end where it’s being dropped. The savings though are NOT $22.4M since NZTA is funding at least half, so budget savings would be a max of $11M if not done. The Opportunity Cost of not doing it wasn’t mentioned. Funny that.
thanks for the update @GerardH .i don’t understand this “minimum standard” stance from DCC staff. What they should be targetting is Minimum viable pathway. Their view of minimum is 50x more than needed.
Step 1 is - allow people to use the entire corridor in its current state (eg remove barriers and ensure property permissions in place, remove and signpost any hazards).
Step 2 - improve pathway surface in sections over several years based on usership and demand.
we don’t need another highly over-engineered pathway like Port to Port, which was built to a 90+ year standard. We just need to start with a dirt track and get people on it. Overbuilding by a factor of 20 - 100x cost is ludicrous. This is bueracracy gone mad and is nanny state mentality and engineer CYA (cover ya butt) for liability.
Time to fire some engineers at the DCC and build some miniumum viable pathways based on recommendations from actual cyclists. do they just see this as an employment program for their contractor mates?
A tunnel and corridor that has been there for 150 years is not a hazard. The beauty of cycling on existing rail corridors is 95% of the work has already been done. This asset belongs to the people of Dunedin and will improve the recreation, transit opportunites as well as a much needed proven tourism boost!