Category: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Tunnelling has begun this week at the Te Ara o Te Ata – Mt Messenger Bypass project in North Taranaki.

Following an early morning blessing from mana whenua and iwi partner Ngāti Tama, the first cut was made by a 110-tonne road header machine that will excavate the project’s 235-metre tunnel.

Road headers have boom-mounted telescopic cutting heads, making them ideal for diverse geological conditions.  A shovel plate at the front of the road header collects the excavated rock and soil, which is then conveyed via a belt to dump trucks at the back of the machine.  

The 235-metre tunnel will be an important part of the Bypass project, contributing to a much more resilient stretch of State Highway 3.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Project Manager Caleb Perry says having the road header onsite is really exciting for the project.

“We’ll start to see some progress with the road header excavating up to 3 metres every day.

“The tunnel will be cut in two stages, with the upper portion (top heading) first, followed by the bottom section (bench). At regular intervals, excavation will be paused and ‘shotcrete’ – a sprayed-on concrete – will be applied to the crown and walls to line and support the structure.

“The design and construction of the tunnel are similar to the Northern Gateway Tunnel in Auckland and the tunnel will be large enough to accommodate loads up to and including house removals – this isn’t something that can currently be accommodated on the steep, narrow winding stretch of SH3.”

At this stage, the excavation is expected to be completed later this year.

“The Mt Messenger Bypass will make this stretch of SH3 much more resilient, and safer for all motorists, providing a secure connection through North Taranaki, especially for freight.

“The finished tunnel will incorporate cultural elements acknowledging Ngāti Tama tūpuna, the traditional guardians of the northern gateway to Taranaki.”

Backgound

The Mt Messenger project has named this road header ‘Hinetūparimaunga’ – the atua of mountains and cliffs.

A design on the side of the roadheader depicts Hinetūparimaunga with outstretched limbs supporting the roof, walls and floor of the underground space. A yellow background represents the light that will flood into the tunnel upon its completion.

Images: The roadheader and initial progress

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises of the following closures for motorway improvements. Work delayed by bad weather will be completed at the next available date, prior to Friday, 14 February 2025.

Please note this traffic bulletin is updated every Friday.

Daily updated closure information(external link)

Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am. Traffic management may be in place before the advertised closure times for the mainline.

NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

• Onewa Road northbound off-ramp, 9-13 February
• Stafford Road northbound off-ramp, 9-13 February
• Curran Street northbound on-ramp, 9-13 February

CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)

• SH1 southbound to SH16 eastbound (Port) link, 12 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• SH1 southbound to SH16 westbound link, 13 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Northbound lanes between Symonds Street off-ramp and Fanshawe Street on-ramp, 10-11 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Wellington Street northbound on-ramp, 10-11 February
  • SH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 10-11 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Westbound lanes between Stanely Street off-ramp and Newtown Road on-ramp, 10-11 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 northbound link, 10-11 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 southbound link, 10-11 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Wellesley Street East (SH1) westbound on-ramp, 10-11 February
• SH16 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 10-11 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Westbound lanes between Stanley Street off-ramp and Great North Road on-ramp, 13 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 northbound link, 13 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 southbound link, 13 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Wellesley Street East (SH1) westbound on-ramp, 13 February
  • Hobson Street westbound on-ramp, 13 February
  • Newton Road westbound on-ramp, 13 February
  • St Lukes Road westbound on-ramp, 13 February
  • SH16 westbound to SH20 southbound link, 13 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• SH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 13 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Eastbound lanes between Wellesley Street East (SH1) off-ramp and Alten Road on-ramp, 12 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Eastbound lanes between Wellesley Street East (SH16) off-ramp and Alten Road on-ramp, 12 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Grafton Road eastbound on-ramp, 12 February
• Westbound lanes between Stanley Street off-ramp and Grafton Road on-ramp, 11-13 February
• Westbound lanes between Quay Street/Tamaki Drive and Parnell Rise, approx. 9:00pm 7 February to 5:00am 10 February (24/7)
• Westbound lanes between Quay Street/Tamaki Drive and Parnell Rise, approx. 9:00pm 14 February to 5:00am 17 February (24/7)

SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

• Southbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 9 February
  • Papakura (Loop) southbound on-ramp, 9 February
  • Papakura (Diamond) southbound on-ramp, 9 February
• Southbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Ramarama on-ramp, 10-13 February
  • Papakura (Loop) southbound on-ramp, 10-13 February
  • Papakura (Diamond) southbound on-ramp, 10-13 February
  • Drury/SH22 southbound on-ramp, 10-13 February
• Northbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 9-13 February
  • Drury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 9-13 February
• Bombay southbound off-ramp, 9-13 February
• Bombay northbound on-ramp, 9-13 February
• Bombay northbound off-ramp, 9-13 February
• Southbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 9-13 February
• Northbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 9-13 February
  • Dragway Road northbound off-ramp, 9-13 February
  • Hampton Downs northbound on-ramp, 9-13 February

NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)

• SH16 eastbound link to SH20 southbound (Waterview southbound tunnel closed), 10-11 February
  • Great North Road eastbound off ramp (Waterview southbound tunnel closed), 10-11 February
• Westbound link to SH20 southbound (Waterview southbound tunnel closed), 10-11 February
• Eastbound lanes between Great North Road off-ramp and Alten Road, 12 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Great North Road eastbound on-ramp, 12 February
  • St Lukes Road eastbound on-ramp, 12 February
  • SH16 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 12 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH16 eastbound to SH16 (Port) link, 12 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH16 eastbound to SH1 southbound link, 12 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)

• None planned

SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)

• Southbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp and Hillsborough Road on-ramp, 10-11 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Maioro Street southbound on-ramp, 10-11 February
  • Dominion Road southbound on-ramp, 10-11 February
• Northbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp and Great North Road on-ramp (Waterview northbound tunnel closed), 12-13 February
  • SH20 Northbound to SH16 Eastbound Link, 12-13 February
  • SH20 Northbound to SH16 Westbound Link, 12-13 February
  • Maioro Street northbound on-ramp, 12-13 February
• Southbound lanes between Massey Road off-ramp and Puhinui Road on-ramp, 9 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Massey Road southbound on-ramp, 9 February

GEORGE BOLT MEMORIAL DRIVE (SH20A)

• None planned

PUHINUI ROAD (SH20B)

• None planned

STATE HIGHWAY 22 (SH22)

• None planned

STATE HIGHWAY 2 (SH2)

• None planned

Please follow the signposted detours. NZ Transport Agency thanks you for your co-operation during these essential improvements and maintenance.

Current overnight closure information(external link)  

Auckland roads and public transport(external link)

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Road users travelling through the Rangitikei district are advised to expect some minor delays on State Highway 1 in the coming weeks due to planned maintenance and resilience works.

The Manawatū-Whanganui 2024/25 renewals season is nearing completion, with less than 2 months left.

Some crucial work on SH1 is still to be completed, with crews scheduled to be at different sites over the coming weeks.

The timing and location of these scheduled works has been specifically chosen to minimise disruption for travellers.

• Utiku: From Monday 10 February, tree felling works will be taking place off the state highway near Utiku. Work to remove the trees will take place over 4 days, with crews working from 7am til 7pm. Temporary traffic management will be in place, with an occasional stop/stop (stopping traffic flow completely) while trees are removed alongside the highway. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
• Taihape: Preseal repair works are taking place between Manu Road and Rauma Road, just south of Taihape, from Monday 10 February to Friday 14 February. Crews will be working from 8am til 5pm. Stop/go temporary traffic management and a reduced speed limit of 30km/h will be in place, with delays of up to 15 minutes expected. Following these works, crews will return to complete resealing works before the end of this renewals season. This will be communicated closer to the time. 

Once these works are complete, further road maintenance is planned later in the month for SH1 near Mangaweka and Bulls. 

• North of Bulls: From Monday 17 February – Friday 28 February, planned road maintenance work will take place on SH1 near the intersection with Wellington Road. Crews will be working from 6am til 6pm each day. Stop/go temporary traffic management and a reduced speed limit will be in place, with delays of 5 minutes expected.
• Bulls: From Wednesday 19 February, crews plan to complete a 3-week road rebuild on the passing lane north of Watson St, Bulls. This road renewal work will take place each day, with crews working from 6am til 6pm each day. The first week of work involves contraflow  (allowing both directions of travel) and the remaining 2 weeks of work involves stop/go temporary traffic management, with delays of 5 minutes expected.
• Mangaweka: Road rebuild works are planned for the passing lane near Mangaweka, from Thursday 20 February to Thursday 20 March.  These renewal works will be completed under contraflow so minimal disruption is expected for road users.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi acknowledges State Highway 1 has seen a lot of construction activity over the past few months during the renewals season and we really appreciate people’s patience during this work to increase the resilience of the network.

The upcoming works are weather dependent and may be postponed or rescheduled at short notice. Changes in programming will be communicated on our online channels such as NZTA’s Journey Planner.

Journey Planner(external link)

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises work begins Monday (10 February) to upgrade and install traffic lights at the intersection of State Highway 30 (SH30) Te Ngae Road and Wharenui Road.

NZTA advises Rotorua drivers that, as part of this work, a short section of Wharenui Road, between SH30 Te Ngae Road and Reeve Road/Glenfield Road, will be closed to through-traffic.

This closure will be in place from Monday 10 February, not Monday 3 February as earlier stated, until the project is completed in May this year.

Access for residents, pedestrians and cyclists will be maintained. A detour will be in place for other traffic.

Temporary footpaths and pedestrian access will be available and clearly signposted.

Residents, service providers, and visitors will be able to take vehicles into the closed section of Wharenui Road from the Reeve/Glenfield intersection.

All other traffic will need to use Brent Road or Coulter Road to access eastern Wharenui Road, Reeve Road and Glenfield Road, and any connected roads.

While this work is underway a temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place on SH30 Te Ngae Road through the work zone.

More information about additional traffic management will be shared as construction progresses.

View larger map [PDF, 104 KB]

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

People travelling between Nelson and Blenheim can expect to see road works on State Highway 6 into March as investment into the region’s highway infrastructure continues.

These works are critical for ensuring the transport link between Blenheim and Nelson is kept safe and reliable for all road users.

Work will be getting underway at Havelock and near Pelorus from next week.

These works are critical for ensuring the transport link between Blenheim and Nelson is kept safe and reliable for all road users.

SH6 Pelorus works

From Monday 10 February, to Friday 21 March, Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, contractors will rebuild a 1.6-kilometre section of the highway near Pelorus.

They will remove the top layer of the road, lay new gravel, and then apply new chipseal on top. The end result is more stable and improved road surface.

Drainage works will also be completed, and the shoulder of the state highway will be widened. Road users can expect delays of up to 10-minutes during work hours until this work completed.

To ensure the chip-sealing is successful, this work must be done during the day when the weather is warmer.

A 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place while the work is underway. All drivers must follow it – it is there to protect the road surface, keep drivers safe, and protect vehicles for stone chip damage.

This work is deliberately planned to minimise disruption for drivers and has been timed to coincide with the State Highway 6 Whangamoa Saddle closure when there will be less traffic on the road.

People travelling between Nelson and Blenheim are also reminded of the upcoming night closures of the Pelorus Bridge on Sunday 23 February.

SH6 Havelock works

From Wednesday 12 February, to Sunday 16 February, between 7pm to 7am, contractors will also carry out nighttime asphalting work on State Highway 6 through the Havelock township. Work will be underway from just north of Neil Street to Allied Petrol. Stop/go traffic management will be in place during work hours with delays of up to 10 minutes.

Drivers are urged to check road conditions before they travel and plan their journeys accordingly. This is especially important for people with Picton ferry connections.

Upcoming SH6 work schedules and locations

SH6 Pelorus – Daytime road rebuilding

• 10 February, to 21 March (no work on weekends), 7am – 6pm.
• Stop/go and 30km/h temporary speed limit.
• Delays of up to 10 minutes can be expected.
• Reduced temporary speed limit will remain in place outside of work hours.
• Work is subject to weather and other unforeseen circumstances. In the event of unsuitable conditions.

SH6 Havelock – Nighttime asphalting

• Wednesday, 12 February, to Sunday, 16 February, 7pm – 7am
• Stop/go and 30km/h temporary speed limit.
• Delays of up to 10 minutes can be expected.
• Work is subject to weather and other unforeseen circumstances. In the event of unsuitable conditions, work will be rescheduled to the next suitable night.

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle – night closures

• 23 February to 13 March. Sunday to Thursday nights, 8pm – 5:30am.
• SH6 CLOSED between Hira and Rai Valley.
• Outside of work hours, the highway will be subject to traffic management and reduced temporary speed limits at work areas.
• There will be one nightly opening of the road at 12:30am to allow vehicles through. Drivers must be at the closure points (at the weighbridge in Hira, and on the Rai Valley straight at Rai Engineering & Mechanical) by 12:30am.
• The alternate route for drivers wanting to travel over night between Blenheim and Nelson during the SH6 Whangamoa Saddle closure is via State Highway 63 and St Arnaud. This a much longer route and adds significantly to travel times.
• Bad weather may see works delayed or extended.

SH6 Pelorus Bridge – works schedule and location

• Sunday 23 February, Bridge CLOSED 8pm – 5:30am with one opening of the road at 12:30 am to allow vehicles to cross the bridge.
• Drivers must be at the closure points at the Pelorus Bridge by 12:30am.
• Drivers travelling from Nelson to Havelock/Blenheim must be at the Hira closure point at 12:30am to be allowed through the Whangamoa Saddle closure and the Pelorus Bridge site.
• Drivers travelling in the opposite direction will need to be at the Pelorus Bridge closure point at 12:30am to be allowed through the Whangamoa Saddle closure.
• Contractors will return to the site to complete maintenance work on SH6 Pelorus Bridge from 3 March to 6 March, 8pm – 5:30am. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
• Bad weather may see works delayed or extended.

More information

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Wellington drivers need to be ready for major maintenance works on Wellington’s urban motorway next week.

Full night closures, north and southbound, are planned from Sunday 9 February to Thursday 13 February, between 9pm and 4:30am.

The works are weather-dependent, so closures may be delayed into the following week if required.

While the resurfacing and maintenance work is underway, the motorway will be closed to northbound traffic between Karo Drive and Ngauranga Interchange.

It will also be closed to southbound traffic between the Terrace offramp and Vivian Street.

Drivers will have to use alternate routes to get in and out of Wellington city, and it means it will take drivers a little longer to get in and out of the central city.

Road users must plan ahead and allow extra time for their trips– particularly if they are heading to Wellington Hospital or Wellington Airport.

Planned works

Resurfacing work is planned for around five lane kilometres of the motorway’s northbound lanes between Aotea Quay onramp and the Ngauranga Interchange. This will help make the  road’s surface safer and smoother.

To make the most of the closure and ensure as much work can be completed as possible, the Terrace Tunnel will also be closed for its annual Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF) inspection. Because it is a vital piece of infrastructure, the tunnel must be inspected, tested, and maintained regularly.

Road crews will also complete  other essential maintenance work during the closures. This includes renewing digital signs, streetlight maintenance, sign gantry assessments, carrying out structural inspections on overbridges and on and offramps, assessing safety barriers, clearing drains, removing graffiti, and clearing rubbish.

Works schedule and detour routes

• Sunday, 9 February to Thursday 13 February. 9pm – 4:30am.
• Traffic management set up from 7 pm – drivers can expect delays during this time.

Northbound closure

• SH1 Urban Motorway closed between Karo Drive and Ngauranga Interchange
• All northbound on and offramps will be closed – Clifton onramp, Tinakori onramp, Tinakori offramp, May Street onramp and Aotea Quay onramp. 
• Drivers should detour via Karo Drive – Willis Street – Customhouse/Waterloo/Aotea Quay – Hutt Road – Ngauranga Interchange. See the detour map below.

Southbound closure

• SH1 Urban Motorway closed to southbound traffic between The Terrace offramp and Vivian Street
• Drivers should detour via The Terrace offramp and Ghuznee/Victoria/Vivian Streets. See the detour map below.

View larger map [PDF, 283 KB]

More information

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Golden Bay residents can expect to see contractors on site on State Highway 60 at Birds Hill next week with resilience work to start on the Birds Hill landslide.

The slip reactivated  in 2017 and has continued to gradually move, creating  a large hump in what was the left-hand lane of the highway. While the highway is open to two lanes at the slip site, it has been under a long-term 50 km/h temporary speed limit.

Rob Service, System Manager Nelson/Tasman, says work will begin next week (10 February) to repair the site and improve its stability.

“Any future landslide movement poses a real risk to State Highway 60 in an area where there are no alternative detour routes. Maintaining and preserving access to Collingwood and western areas of Golden Bay is critical.”

“To reduce the risk, contractors will carry out substantial drainage work at the slip site above the highway. This includes building horizontally drilled drains into the slip, constructing cut off drains above the hump, and redesigning and resurfacing the road to allow the current 50 km/h speed limit to be removed,” Mr Service says.

However, he warns the work will not remove the current hump at the slip site.

“The hump is at the toe of the slip and geotechnical assessments show it provides stabilisation, reducing ground movement. To remove it would likely increase slope instability and increase the risk of more movement, particularly after wet weather.”

“In this case it is better to work with nature and leave it in place. Site studies have shown the slip’s stability is sensitive to groundwater. So, improving the drainage and removing water from the slope is the best and most cost-effective option,” Mr Service says.

He says the work will affect traffic travelling between Tākaka and Collingwood.

“For a project of this scale, it is unavoidable. The project site will be under stop/go during the day. Drivers will still be able to get through but can expect short delays. Outside of work hours, the highway will be open to two lanes.”

“Weather permitting, we expect the project to be finished by late April. So, please bear with us while our contractors work hard to get this job finished,” Mr Service says.

Works schedule

• Monday, 10 February to Thursday, 24 April (Weather dependent). Monday to Saturday, 7 am – 7 pm
• Stop go traffic management and  30/km/h temporary speed limit
• Road open to two lanes and 50 km/h temporary speed limit outside work hours
• No work will be done during the Easter Holidays

More Information

This project is funded out of the Crown Resilience Programme – a $419 million investment package of resilience improvement activities that will reduce the impact of severe weather events on our national roading networks. More information can be found on our website:

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

As the Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū-Tararua Highway project nears completion, sections of State Highway 3 through Woodville will be closed for up to 5 weeks to allow for the completion of the new roundabout.

SH3 at the Vogel Street / Woodlands Road bend will be closed 24/7 for 5 weeks from Monday 24 February.

The work is expected to be completed by Sunday 30 March and the road reopened.

Access to Woodville township and its businesses will remain open during the closure period. Residents in the construction area will continue to have access to and from their properties.

Two detours will be in place – through Pinfold and Oxford Roads for light vehicles and through Pahiatua Track via Tay and Station streets in Woodville for heavy vehicles.

The detours are expected to add less than 5 minutes to the journey times for light vehicles and up to 20 minutes for heavy vehicles.

During the closure period, construction teams will connect the new roundabout to the existing roads, working onsite between the hours of 5am and 8pm.

In addition to the roundabout work, we are planning to undertake some maintenance and resurfacing works on SH3 Napier Road near Ashhurst and SH3 Vogel St in Woodville. This will be undertaken during the same period to minimise overall disruption.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi acknowledges this closure will cause frustration for some road users.

“Once this work is finished, there’ll be a safe, reliable connection between Woodville and the new highway. It will also mark a major milestone as the whole project draws closer to completion,” says Project spokesperson Grant Kauri.

“Thanks to all road users for their patience while these essential works are completed.”

For more information about the Te Ahu a Turanga project, please head to :

Te Ahu a Turanga project page