Cyclists and drivers will have to negotiate a potential collision course in Port Adelaide after official oversight resulted in a concrete island obstructing road users.

Key points: The pedestrian refuge was built over a bicycle lane and partly blocks a road

The pedestrian refuge was built over a bicycle lane and partly blocks a road Transport Department says the work was not properly approved

Transport Department says the work was not properly approved It's the second blunder in days after a misspelt road sign left drivers bemused

Unimpressed cyclist Ben Cove took a photo of a new pedestrian refuge in St Vincent Street that includes concrete kerbs laid across the bike lane and "into the flow of traffic".

"Not only has it created a hazard for cyclists, it's created a hazard for drivers as well," he told ABC Radio Adelaide's Breakfast program.

"It just seems to be a pretty unthought-out piece of infrastructure."

The photo shows the pedestrian refuge blocking the existing bike lane and jutting into the road, forcing cyclists to steer into traffic.

Mr Cove said the work raised questions about the site evaluation and how such an obvious "mistake" could occur.

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council believed the work was undertaken by a contractor on behalf of the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

The ABC understands new bike lanes have since been painted around the pedestrian refuge.

Work done without 'appropriate approval'

A department spokesperson said the work was part of the Dock One Port Adelaide Redevelopment.

"The construction appears to have been undertaken without appropriate approval from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure," she said.

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"The Department has promptly issued instructions regarding more appropriate temporary roadwork signage to assist motorists during the construction phase and are working with the developer and consultants with the final designs for the pedestrian refuge.

"It is expected the works will shortly be completed to departmental standards and community expectations with the bicycle lanes being appropriately re-located and marked."

Mr Cove said cycling infrastructure in South Australia was generally "pretty good" but "it's the integration between different cycling paths that lets us down".

"We know from research that's a major contributing factor to stopping people from partaking in active transport," he said.

The blunder comes after a recent major road sign misspelling that had Port Adelaide written as "Port Adeliade".

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll has since tweeted that the misspelling had been rectified.