Category: Transport

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises that night-time resurfacing works planned on State Highway 6, Havelock have had to be pushed out a day until Thursday night, 13 February.

Why?

The serious crash on SH7/the Lewis Pass route Tuesday night and subsequent road closure meant SH1 had to be fully available, pausing work planned for the Weld Pass.

This means the asphalting crew need to remain onsite at Weld Pass Wednesday night before they begin asphalting works on State Highway 6 in Havelock tomorrow night, Thursday 13 February. 

No work Saturday night Havelock 

There will be no work on Saturday night (15 February).

Days and hours of work will be 7pm – 7am on Thursday 13, Friday 14, Sunday 16, Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 February with work finishing at 7am on Wednesday 19 February.

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. 

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

There has been a crash on SH6 QEII Drive, near the intersection with Nelson’s Atawhai Drive (near Founders Park). If possible, people should delay their journeys through this area.

• SH6 Queen Elizabeth II Drive between Trafalgar Street and Malvern Avenue is closed, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

A detour route around SH6 is in place but it is currently not HPMV approved.

HPMV vehicle drivers will need to park up and wait until SH6 QEII Drive/SH6 Atawhai Drive is open again. Next update 3 pm.

Detour

Northbound traffic is being detoured right off SH6 QEII Drive onto Trafalgar Street, left onto Wainui Street, continue on to Weka Street, left onto Atawhai Drive, curve right and continue on Atawhai Drive, left onto a short unnamed road opposite 330 Atawhai Drive, and right onto SH6 QEII Drive/SH6 Atawhai Drive. 

Southbound traffic is being detoured left off SH6 QEII Drive/SH6 Atawhai Drive onto Malvern Ave, right onto Atawhai Drive, curve left and continue on Atawhai Drive, right onto Weka Street, continue on Wainui Street, right onto Trafalgar Street, left back onto SH6 QEII Drive.

Please note the difference between the northbound and southbound detour routes.

Detour map

The attached detour is not suitable for HPMV vehicles.

Please note: There’s SH6 Atawhai Drive (State Highway) and also Atawhai Drive (Nelson City Council local road). SH6 QEII Drive becomes SH6 Atawhai Drive at approximately 330 Atawhai Drive (NCC local road).

Follow the directions of emergency services on site.  If possible, please delay your journey through this area.

Updates: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions/nelson-and-marlborough/closures/497311(external link)

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

The first planned night closures of State Highway 2 Remutaka Hill for 2025 are coming up.

The route is set to be closed to traffic for five nights, 9 pm to 4 am, from Sunday, 23 February to Friday morning 28 February, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

Mark Owen, Regional Manager Maintenance & Operations Wellington / Top of the South for NZTA, says the route has been kept open since last December to cater for the extra traffic from KiwiRail’s closure of the Wairarapa Line for upgrades and maintenance.

“Now the rail line is open, it’s crucial we make sure the road remains in good shape for the wetter winter months ahead.

“Our road crews will be hard at work carrying out resurfacing, sign replacement, clearing drainage, maintaining barriers and line marking as well as the remedial work to the slip on the Featherston side of the hill, where the Slow Vehicle Lane is currently closed,” Mr Owen says.

He says it is essential drivers are aware of the closures and are ready for them. As well as the closures in February, more are planned overnight in March, April, May and June.

Pahiatua Track, Saddle Road alternative, longer routes, or book to be escorted

“We do not want people to be caught out by these overnight closures, as the only alternative detours are via the Pahiatua Track or Saddle Road to the north – a much longer trip.

“Escorted crossings for drivers of light vehicles are available during closure nights but must be booked in advance and can be made on the NZTA website,” Mr Owen says.

“During this closure we are only able to accommodate one escorted crossing per direction each night due to significant resurfacing works.” 

Mr Owen says full closures mean maintenance works can be finished faster and they are safer for road crews.

“A critical factor is far fewer vehicles use the route at night. Around 7,000 vehicles on average travel over the hill daily, but of this 300 or fewer travel at night.

“Night closures have a far lower impact on drivers than if the work was done under stop/go during the day. They really are the best option for this work,” he says.

Important information for Remutaka Hill closures

• Escorted crossings for light vehicles are available during closure nights but must be booked in advance. We always communicate well before planned closures and provide contact details so bookings can be made.
• Bookings can be made online on the NZTA website – Remutaka Hill Closure Escort Booking Form(external link)
• Bookings are essential – drivers who turn up without one risk being turned away. If you have a genuine emergency on the night, the hill manager will decide how best to help you.
• The escorted crossings are for light vehicles only. To keep our contractors safe, heavy vehicles cannot be accommodated.
• Full access is always available for emergency services.

More information about planned maintenance closures for Remutaka Hill can be found here:

State Highway 2, Remutaka Hill, planned night closures. February – June 2025:

Nights Closed	Start 9 pm	Finish 4 am
5	23 February	28 February
1	9 March	10 March
5	6 April	11 April
1	18 May	19 May
1	15 June	16 June

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

New resilience work recently got underway on State Highway 1 in Marlborough, south of Blenheim at Dashwood.

• The start date for the second stage of this work has now been brought forward to start on Monday, 17 February to help avoid the upcoming grape harvest, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

During this time one lane of the highway will remain open under stop/go traffic management 24/7 and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit. 

• Work is expected to continue until 9 April 2025, but NZTA is aiming to have an end to stop/go traffic management by early March.

The work involves raising the height of the road to minimise future flooding and complete drainage improvements.

Wayne Oldfield, Marlborough System Manager, says the 500-metre section of state highway between Awatere Valley Road and the Awatere Bridge is prone to flooding.

“Making these improvements and increasing the highway’s resilience will help keep the road open in bad weather, and ensure people, products, and places remain connected on this busy arterial route.”

“It means the transport network will be stronger and better prepared for any future disruption,” Mr Oldfield says.

The work on the three-lane section of the state highway will be carried out in stages.

Stage 1 will see the start of new drainage works alongside the highway. During Stage 2, one lane of the highway will remain open under a stop/go traffic management 24/7 and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit.  For Stage 3, two lanes will be open under a 30 km/h temporary speed limit.

Keeping the road open while work is done is particularly important given the Marlborough grape harvest will soon be underway.

Mr Oldfield says the work is funded by the Crown Resilience Programme.

“The fund is about covering the cost of resilience improvements on the state highway network and minimising damage from future weather events.”

“Marlborough residents know only too well how big an impact floods can have. In previous years, heavy rainfall has resulted in the closure of this stretch of the highway. Investments like this can make a big difference,” Mr Oldfield says.

Other resilience works recently completed in Marlborough include State Highway 6 Rai Saddle and State Highway 63 at the Wash Bridge.

Works Schedule overall

Stage 1 – Early February to 9 April

• Drainage works undertaken in the swale alongside the highway.
• Northbound passing lane will be closed during the work activities.

Stage 2 – 17 February to early March (amended from our first notice of this work)

• Stop/Go temporary traffic management in place from 24/7 – No work on Sundays.
• A temporary speed limit of 30 km/h will be in place at the site 24/7.
• Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
• This work is subject to weather and unforeseen circumstances.

Stage 3 – Early to late March

• State Highway 1 reopened to two lanes
• A temporary speed limit of 30 km/h will be in place at the site 24/7.

More Information

• The Crown Resilience Programme (previously the Transport Resilience Fund) is a $419 million investment package of resilience improvement activities that will reduce the impact of severe weather events on our national roading networks. This will ensure a more resilient and efficient network now and into the future. The total crown resilience programme comprises $279 million for activities on State Highways, and $140 million for activities on Local Roads.
• This seven-year programme aims to advance proactive resilience improvements on the roading network to minimise the future damage caused to New Zealand roads by weather events, which have been increasing in frequency and severity.
• Crown Resilience Programme

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Work to rebuild a section of State Highway 2 (SH2) at night near Snodgrass Road has finished 2 weeks ahead of schedule, with the team wrapping things up last week.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) would like to thank people for their patience and our contractor Fulton Hogan for their hard work in getting this quality job completed in less time.  

“People are now enjoying a very smooth ride through the Snodgrass Road area,” says Sandra King, System Manager Bay of Plenty. 

“It’s no small feat. Over the past month, contractors dug up 510 metres of existing road surface, rebuilt each layer, then finished it off with a smooth asphalt surface and brand-new line marking.’  

While the Snodgrass Road work was underway, there were other maintenance activities, including several other chip sealing sites being completed at night. 

Due to the sensitive nature of this stretch of state highway, and increasing traffic volumes, rebuilding the road with chip seal is becoming increasingly difficult due to the length of time and temporary speed limits needed to bed in the chip once laid.  

Any work on SH2, day or night, causes disruption and NZTA appreciates the impact this has on motorists as crews work hard to maintain and renew this important route. 

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

The State Highway Summer Maintenance programme remains in full swing with State Highway 1 between Newlands and Tawa the next in line for attention over the next month.

Mark Owen, Regional Manager Wellington / Top of the South for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says to date it has been a big maintenance season for the Wellington region, and there is still a lot of work to do.

“State Highway 1 into Wellington is a critical link, and it needs regular maintenance. So, for the second half of February our road crews will be hard at work resurfacing the highway’s northbound lanes between Johnsonville and Glenside.

“These are heavily used routes – for State Highway 1, on an average day, more than  30,000 vehicles use the northbound lanes. That is a lot of wear and tear, which is why this resurfacing is necessary. It is all about ensuring the highway remains safe and reliable,” Mr Owen says.

From Sunday, 16 February until Thursday, 20 February – 9 pm to 4:30 am the highway’s northbound lanes will be closed for resurfacing between the Helston Road overbridge and the Grenada/Glenside offramp. A local road detour will be available via Johnsonville and Middleton Road. People who live in Johnsonville who need to travel north will need to use the Glenside northbound onramp. The highway’s southbound lanes will be open at all times.

The week following, contractors will resurface the Takapu Road roundabout at Tawa/Grenada North interchange. We will provide a further update once these details have been confirmed.

“We are doing these works at night when there is less traffic on the road. Closing the road lets us get the job done quicker and reduces traffic management costs. It is also safer for road workers and the public,” Mr Owen says.

Works Schedule and Detour Route

• Sunday, 16 February to Thursday, 20 February. 9 pm – 4:30 am
  • SH1 CLOSED to northbound traffic between Johnsonville northbound offramp and Glenside northbound onramp. Local road detour available via Johnsonville and Middleton Road.
  • SH1 southbound lanes will remain OPEN at all times
  • Johnsonville residents will need to access SH1 northbound at Glenside

More Information

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency