South Island Road Report
Upcoming work/events
- Mid-late October – SH94 east of Mossburn, traffic lights and temporary speed limit for pavement renewal *continues for 5-6 weeks
- Mid-late October – SH94 west of Mossburn, traffic lights and temporary speed limit for pavement renewal *continues for 5-6 weeks
- Mid -late October – SH94 near Balfour, traffic lights and temporary speed limit for pavement renewal *continues for 5-6 weeks
- Early November – SH94 east of Mossburn, daytime road closure, (open overnight), for pavement renewal
- 3-9 November, Tour of Southland
West Coast summer highway maintenance work kicks off
Expect to see more road crews and traffic managers out and about repairing and re-sealing highways and keeping everyone safe around the West Coast and Buller from now into the New Year, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
On the West Coast there are two major rehabilitation sites this summer maintenance season:
- SH73 at Jacksons, east of Kumara, from Monday, 14 October through to late November. Working hours are 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday (excluding Public Holidays and weather dependent).
- SH6 at Fergusons Bush, south of Ross (south of Hokitika), starting after Christmas in the New Year.
There will be single lane and Stop/Go traffic management at both these sites, with minor delays, depending on the activity on the day.
Keep up to date with actual delays on the NZTA Journey Planner: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions
All work is funded through the State Highway Maintenance and Pothole Prevention activity classes in the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).
What else is happening to keep West Coast highways smooth?
The West Coast reseal programme for summer 2024/25 includes 131 lane kilometres between Mohikinui north of Westport to the Haast Pass in the south and all places in between, between now and the end of March 2025. Expect up to 20-minute delays if you strike a crew busy at work.
“Maintenance crews also will be out in force completing other pavement repairs throughout the network,” says Miss Whinham.
Asphalting to come in Greymouth
“We also have asphalt work planned on Tainui and High Streets in Greymouth, and further details of this will be provided closer to the time.
“Thanks for your patience and supporting our crews while this work is done.
“And if you have any concerns with the work being carried out, contact NZTA 0800 4 HIGHWAYS – 0800 44 44 49.”
Four hour closure Monday at Rock Shelter, SH73 Otira Gorge, Arthur's Pass, to retrieve digger
Arthur’s Pass travellers need to build in a four-hour highway closure this coming Monday while a crane lifts a digger off the Otira Gorge Rock Shelter roof.
The digger has been removing accumulated rockfall over the past four weeks following rockfall onto the SH73 traffic lane, a key route between Canterbury and the West Coast.
The digger retrieval will happen on Monday between 10 am and 2 pm, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
The Lewis Pass, SH7, via Waipara and Reefton, is the alternative, longer route linking the two regions.
Road blocks will be set up at Otira and Arthur’s Pass on Monday for people who need to wait while this work is completed, outside of the school holiday period.
Night work coming up next week in the Kawarau Gorge, SH6, Cromwell to Frankton
Plan ahead for three nights partial road closures of SH6, Kawarau Gorge
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising drivers to plan ahead for upcoming night closures on sections of SH6 through the Kawarau Gorge, between Cromwell and Frankton.
Three separate sections of SH6 will be closed over three nights, Monday to Wednesday/Thursday morning, for essential post-winter maintenance works at the times listed below:
Monday, 14 October – Thursday morning 17 October: Road closed from 9pm to 5:30am. The road will be under a soft closure and traffic will be piloted through the site. Expect delays of up to half an hour, says Peter Standring, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA in Central Otago.
Because the Kawarau Gorge is sensitive to weather conditions, work may be postponed at short notice to keep workers safe, says Mr Standring.
NZTA is urging drivers to plan their journeys around the closures, and if possible to postpone travel during the closure times.
Please check the NZTA on-line Journey Planner at www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz for the latest up to date road conditions.
Flooding clean up over, back to highway resealing around Greater Dunedin, Coastal Otago.
Smoothing out the Coastal Otago black ribbon of highway
Overall, the Coastal Otago team has 116 lane kilometres, or 58 km of two-lane highway up for renewal treatments. For high impact projects, people will spot electronic message boards ahead of work starting, providing work dates and information.
Rehabilitation (ie full road reconstruction) sites include:
SH85 three sites near Morrisons (between Kyeburn and Palmerston) – September to November
SH88 Station Road, Sawyers Bay – underway
SH1 Milton – dates TBC
SH87, between Outram and Lee Stream – dates TBC
Resurfacing (asphalting) sites include:
SH88 Port Chalmers – completed (see photo below)
SH88 Anzac Avenue – completed
SH1 Barnes Drive Dunedin to the Glen, Southern Motorway – dates TBC, end of October likely
SH1 Lookout Point, Dunedin to Burnside Overbridge – dates TBC
SH1 Fairfield – dates TBC
SH1 Leith Saddle Summit – resurfacing starting 21 October
SH1 Green Island Offramp – dates TBC.
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