Category: Transport

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Two busy Blenheim roundabouts will be resealed next week.

The State Highway 1/State Highway 6 Nelson Street roundabout will be the first to be resurfaced with night works planned from Sunday, 2 February until Tuesday, 4 February, between 7 pm and 5 am.

During this time the roundabout will be closed to all traffic to allow for asphalting work to be carried out and a local road detour will be in place.

Asphalt is a longer lasting solution that provides a stronger road. It also reduces the amount of future maintenance the roundabouts will need.

Contractors will then carry out night works on the State Highway 1 Main Street roundabout from Sunday, 9 February, until Wednesday, 12 February, between 7 pm and 5 am.

During this time the roundabout will be closed to all traffic to allow asphalting work to be completed and the same local detour route will be in place.

The work is deliberately planned to coincide with State Highway 1 Weld Pass night closures as most southbound traffic will be using the inland route to travel to Kaikoura and Christchurch. It means the resealing work will affect fewer drivers.

A local road detour will be in place for all traffic in both directions via Alabama Road, Battys Road, Nelson Street, Hutcheson Street and Lansdowne Street. This detour is expected to add up to 10 minutes to travel time.
Once asphalting work is complete, road markings will be reinstated under night works with stop/go controls and a 30 km/h speed limit.

The roundabout resealing will create some disruption and delays and drivers are urged to allow extra time when travelling through Blenheim until the work is completed.

Works details

State Highway 1, Grove Road / State Highway 6, Nelson Street roundabout

• Sunday, 2 February to Tuesday, 4 February. 7 pm and 5 am.
• Full road closure at the Pitchill Street, Lane Street (on Dillon’s Point Road), Auckland Street and Bomford Street intersections before the roundabout.
• Local road detour in both directions for all vehicles, including heavies, via Alabama Road, Battys Road, Nelson Street, Hutcheson Street and Lansdowne Street. This detour is expected to add up to 10 minutes to travel time.
• No access to the northern end of the Blenheim Railway Station during work hours. Access to the carpark will be via the southern end (Horton Street) only.
• Access will be available for emergency services.
• A 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place during the day outside of work hours. Road users must follow the instructions of contractors and obey all temporary speed limits and traffic controls.

State Highway 1, Main Street roundabout

• Sunday, 9 February to Wednesday, 12 February. 7 pm and 5 am.
• Full road closure at the Alfred Street, Freswick Street, Kinross Street, Symons Street and Park Terrace intersections before the roundabout.
• Local road detour in both directions for all vehicles, including heavies, via Alabama Road, Battys Road, Nelson Street, Hutcheson Street and Lansdowne Street. This detour is expected to add up to 10 minutes to travel time.
• Access will be available for emergency services.
• A 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place during the day outside of work hours. Road users must follow the instructions of contractors and obey all temporary speed limits and traffic controls.

More Information:

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A stretch of State Highway 51 Georges Drive/Ellison Street in Napier will be closing for 2 days of resealing next month.

Crews will be working on SH51 between Marine Parade and Kennedy Road on Saturday 8 February and Sunday 9 February.

The work is being done during the day on the weekend to minimise disruption to traffic and residents.

This stretch of road will close between 6am and 8pm on Saturday and between 6am and 1pm on Sunday. The road is opening earlier on the Sunday to avoid disruption of an event at McLean Park that evening.

Following that work, the road will be under stop/go traffic management for the following 2 days for line marking and sweeping loose chip.

The road won’t be closed at night, however a temporary speed restriction will be in place.

During the work, detours will be available:

• Detour 1: Kennedy Road to Wellesley Road to Latham Street
• Detour 2: Marine Parade to Warren Street to Hastings Street to Latham Street

Please allow for delays, follow detour signs and instructions from our crew onsite. Traffic will be able to cross SH51 Georges Drive at the Latham Street roundabout. Emergency services will be assisted through the site.

This work is dependent on dry weather conditions. If weather delays this work, the contingency dates are Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi thanks road users for taking the detours and to communities along this stretch of road.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Arthur’s Pass is about to get the benefits of the ongoing state highway summer maintenance season.

Contractors will be hard at work on the Alpine Highway near Arthur’s Pass Village early next month carrying out essential resurfacing works.

Work is planned for Monday, 3 February, and Tuesday February. It will require State Highway 73 to be closed between  Rough Creek Bridge and Peg Leg (near the  Otira Viaduct Lookout) between 10 am and 5 pm on both days.

The highway will open on the hour, every hour, to clear queued traffic. However, travel delays can be expected, and drivers must plan their journeys accordingly.

The narrowness or the road means a full closure is required. This is for the safety of road crew as well as drivers. It will also allow the work to be completed faster.

Because resealing work requires warm and dry conditions, and the location is in an alpine area, this work can only be done during the day.

State Highway 73 is a critical link between the South Island’s east and west coasts. This maintenance is essential for ensuring it remains a safe and resilient route for road users.

NZTA/Waka Kotahi thanks drivers for their patience and co-operation while this work is underway.

Works Schedule:

• Monday, 3 February and Tuesday, 4 February. 10 am – 5 pm
• SH73 CLOSED between Rough Creek Bridge and Peg Leg
• The highway will reopen on the hour, every hour, to let queued traffic through.

These works are weather-dependent and may be scheduled if bad weather occurs

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

People travelling in Tasman and the West Coast are encouraged to keep an eye on weather and road conditions this weekend.

The MetService has weather warnings in place for both regions.

A Heavy Rain Warning is in place for Westland from midday Saturday through until 6 pm on Sunday. This will affect State Highway 6 between Hokitika and Haast.

A Heavy Rain Watch has also been issued for Tasman, west of Motueka, from 9 pm Saturday until 6 pm Sunday. This will affect State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill and Golden Bay.

Heavy rain increases the risks of slips, rockfalls, and localised flooding. It can also see roads closed at short notice

Wet roads can be slippery. Drivers must be alert and prepared for road hazards, and drive to the conditions. Increase following distances, avoid sudden braking, reduce speed, and use headlights if visibility is poor. Be safe, be seen.

Road users should also check road and weather conditions before they travel:

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Crews continue to tackle a significant programme of summer maintenance on State Highway 29 (SH29).

Work to rebuild and resurface the road across 9 sites began in October 2024, with 3 sites near Hanga Lane, Old Kaimai Road and Gargan Road now complete. 

Resurfacing got underway near Kaukumoutiti Stream Bridge last week, north of Soldiers Road, with 2 final night shifts required on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 January.  

Works will take place between 7pm and 6am, with stop/go in place. There will be a reduced speed limit of 50km/h during the day. Some periods of stop/stop, of up to 30 minutes, will also be required to complete work within the narrow bridge area. People are advised to expect delays.  

Drainage and asphalt resurfacing work will get underway near McLaren Falls Road on Tuesday 28 January* to Tuesday 11 March (*this work was originally scheduled to start Monday 20 January). 

The drainage work will be carried out first, with work occurring during the day, Monday to Friday. 

Temporary traffic management will be in place including the closure of the entire passing lane starting at Poripori Road and finishing just after McLaren Falls Road (Monday to Friday only, opening at the weekends), plus a reduced speed limit of 50km/h through the site, and 30km/h at the intersection with McLaren Falls Road. 

Once drainage works are complete, asphalting is expected to get started in February and will involve lane closures, a reduced speed limit of 50km/h and periods of stop/go at night. 

Road users should be prepared for delays and allow extra time for their journeys. 

Further sites getting underway next week include chip sealing near Kaimai School (Tuesday 28 January), near Hanga Lane (Wednesday night) and near Ruahihi Road (Thursday night).  

Works at each site will take place across 1 night, between 7pm and 6am, with stop/go in place. There will be a reduced speed limit of 30km/h during the day. People are advised to expect delays.  

These will be followed by the next round of full Kaimai Range overnight closures.  

The Kaimai Range will see night closures (for all traffic) over 2 weeks, from Sunday 9 February to the morning of Friday 14 February (5 nights) and from Sunday 16 February to the morning of Friday 21 February (5 nights), between 8pm and 4.30am each night.  

During the day SH29 will be open but may be under a temporary speed restriction. 

The detours for this closure are significant and add considerable time to journeys. People are encouraged to check the NZTA Journey Planner and allow extra time for their journey, or if possible, delay travel over SH29 on these nights.   

The detour routes are:  

• South: SH28, SH5, SH30, SH33, SH2 via Rotorua  

North: SH24, SH27, SH26, SH2 via Karangahake Gorge

More information

Meanwhile resurfacing work on SH29, between Cambridge Road and the SH29/SH36 roundabout, is scheduled for late February and will include a 1-night full lane closure. Details will be provided closer to the time. 

Following this, resurfacing on the SH29 Toll Road is also scheduled for March 2025. 

These works form part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.  

Once complete, drivers will have smoother and safer journeys along this section of the SH29 corridor.  

People are encouraged to plan ahead and see where disruptive works are by using the NZTA Journey Planner. 

Journey Planner(external link)

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, 31 January 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)

• Southbound lanes between Orewa off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 27 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
  • Orewa southbound on-ramp, 27 January 
  • Millwater southbound on-ramp, 27 January 
• Northbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Orewa on-ramp, 27 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
  • Silverdale northbound on-ramp, 27 January 
• Northbound lanes between Northcote Road off-ramp and Constellation Drive on-ramp, 27 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
  • Tristram Avenue northbound on-ramp, 27 January (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am) 
  • Northcote Road northbound on-ramp, 27 January (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am) 
• Southbound lanes between Tristram Avenue off-ramp and Northcote Road on-ramp, 27-30 January (approx 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
  • Tristram Avenue southbound on-ramp, 27-30 January 
• Northbound lanes between Onewa Road off-ramp and Northcote Road on-ramp, 28 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
  • Esmonde Road (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 28 January 
  • Esmonde Road (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 28 January 
  • Onewa Road northbound on-ramp, 28 January 
• Onewa Road northbound on-ramp, 29 January 
• Stafford Road northbound off-ramp, 29-30 January 
• Curran Street northbound on-ramp, 29-30 January 

CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)

• None planned

SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

• Northbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 27 January (approx 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
  • Drury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 27 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
• Northbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 28-30 January 
  • Drury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 28-30 January  
• Southbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Ramarama on-ramp, 29-30 January 
  • Drury/SH22 southbound on-ramp, 29-30 January 
• Bombay northbound on-ramp, 27-30 January 
• Bombay northbound off-ramp, 27-30 January 
• Pokeno northbound off-ramp, 28 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) 

NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)

• Southbound lanes between Foster and Trigg Road, 19 January (approx. 6:00pm to 6:00am)
• Northbound lanes between Trigg Road and Foster Road, 19 January (approx. 6:00pm to 6:00am)
• Southbound lanes between Waimauku roundabout and Trigg Rd, 20-23 January (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
• Northbound lanes between Trigg Rd and Waimauku roundabout, 20-23 January (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
• Southbound lanes between Access Road and Taupaki Road roundabout, 21 January
• Northbound lanes between Taupaki Road roundabout and Access Road, 21 January
• Te Atatu Road (Loop) southbound on-ramp, 20 January

UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)

• None planned  

SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)

• Southbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp and Neilson Street on-ramp, 30 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
  • Maioro Street southbound on-ramp, 30 January 
  • Dominion Road southbound on-ramp, 30 January
  • Hillsborough Road southbound on-ramp, 30 January  
  • Queenstown Road southbound on-ramp, 30 January 
• Northbound lanes between Neilson Street off-ramp and Maioro Street on-ramp, 29 January (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am) 
  • Dominion Road northbound on-ramp, 29 January 
  • Hillsborough Road northbound on-ramp, 29 January 
  • Neilson Street northbound on-ramp, 29 January 
• Northbound lanes between Queenstown Road off-ramp and Dominion Road on-ramp, 27-28 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) 
  • Hillsborough Road northbound on-ramp, 27-28 January 
• Neilson Street northbound off-ramp, 28 January 
• Rimu Road northbound on-ramp, 28 January 

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

Work gets underway onsite next week to prepare for the replacement of the 48-year-old Onetai Stream Bridge north of Paeroa on State Highway 26. A wider, stronger bridge will make this route on the eastern side of the Waihou River safer and more resilient.

Road users on SH26 between Paeroa and Kōpū will see NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) contractors on site from Tuesday 28 January to begin work.  There will be lane closures for the first 2 weeks, and then a full road closure for up to 4 weeks from Monday 10 February.

Regional Manager of Infrastructure Delivery (Acting), Darryl Coalter, says NZTA appreciates the closure will be disruptive.

“Onetai is a small bridge, and the road approaches are very narrow. Unfortunately, it is not practical to replace the bridge in stages, so the highway will need to be closed here while the old bridge is demolished, and its replacement is installed.

“Replacing bridges is always tricky and invariably involves some road closures, to ensure the work is done safely and efficiently – and within the available funding.

“In this location it isn’t possible to provide alternative access and we recognise the impact this closure will have on road users – particularly those from local communities, however it is vital that we do this work to ensure the resilience of this route by replacing this bridge which is at the end of its economic life,” Mr Coalter says.

The detour route will be via State Highway 2, Hauraki Road and State Highway 25 for northbound traffic and the reverse for southbound traffic (map below). The detour will not add duration to the trip for those travelling from Paeroa and Kōpu – however for those travelling from nearer to the closure site, for example between Hikutaia and Kōpū – a 12 minute trip will become 35 minutes.

“The project team considered a range of construction options and has developed an approach to get the work done as quickly as possible, using prefabricated bridge deck and other key components to speed construction,” Mr Coalter says.

The existing bridge was designed and constructed in 1976. Its 2025 replacement will be 3m wider giving drivers more lane space, and with additional safety features including a new type of side barrier (see graphic below).  Although bridges in New Zealand are generally built with concrete, this bridge will be built with a timber deck and bridge beams. Timber deck bridges are built successfully overseas and we are now piloting this approach in New Zealand.

NZTA thanks road users and especially the local community for their consideration while we do this work.

It’s advisable for road users to plan ahead using the NZTA Journey Planner. 

Journey Planner(external link)

People can also check out our latest newsletters and subscribe here:

SH25/SH25A Thames-Coromandel