A large retaining wall being built below Harbour Tce opposite the Nelson Yacht Club will ultimately allow Poynters Cres to reopen.

The street off Wakefield Quay has been closed since the December slips, and will reopen once the new wall is constructed and work is finished on the slope below it, Nelson City Council capital projects manager Phil Hamblin said.

He said the new retaining wall will be significantly stronger than what was there previously.

Parts of the original failed and came down with the bank in December.

Mr Hamblin said the new wall was designed by engineering firm Cameron Gibson & Wells and Fulton Hogan was awarded the contract to construct it at a total cost of about $275,000.

The project has taken from December until now to get under way because of a combination of priorities around recovery works, design testing to see what the ground was doing and then time to gain the right consents, Mr Hamblin said.

He said the work was expected to be finished next month.