Marlborough state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 8 November to Friday 14 November

7 November 2025

Kia ora and welcome

Welcome to this week's issue of the Marlborough state highway planned roadworks update.

This weekly newsletter will keep you informed about what’s happening across the region’s state highways so you can plan ahead.

If you are travelling, remember to check Journey Planner for the latest updates on road conditions. Expect increased traffic volumes this weekend for Garden Marlborough and the Marlborough A&P Show.

Please feel free to share this newsletter with whānau and friends, anyone can sign up to stay informed.

The information outlined below is current as at 1:30pm on 7/11/2025.

Full steam ahead for chipsealing work in the top of the South

With the state highway summer maintenance season picking up the pace in the top of the South Island you can expect to see multiple chipsealing sites in the lead-up to Christmas.

This work is essential and ensures the region's highways remain safe and resilient. After the recent spate of wet weather, the focus is on getting as much road resurfacing completed before Christmas and the busier holiday season.

We know people commonly ask why there are more road works at this time of the year. The simple answer is permanent repairs need good weather to be effective and can't be done during the wet and cold winter months.

In Marlborough, crews will be active on State Highway 1 from November until Christmas. Early the New Year they will be at various sites on State Highway 6, including around Okaramio, Havelock, Canvastown, Pelorus and Rai Valley, as well as State Highway 1 in Riverlands and State Highway 63 near St Arnaud.

If you're travelling to the West Coast and further south over summer you can also expect to come upon chipseal operations during your journeys.

Stop/go controls will be in place while chipseal work is underway. Temporary speed limits will apply day and night and remain in place until the new surface beds in. Crews will then sweep the new surface before re-applying road markings. Please stick to the reduced speed limit - if you drive too fast, you will damage the road surface, meaning the work has to be redone. Driving too fast can also cause stone chips to flick up and damage other vehicles.

We will continue to update you each week on the upcoming chipsealing sites, as well as other planned work on our state highways.

For an overview of all chipsealing sites between now and Christmas, you can read our media release.

SH1 Picton to Christchurch

SH1 Spring Creek roundabout

Night time asphalting work at this site has been brought forward a night and will now be carried out on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 November from 7pm to 7am. Stop/go traffic management and a reduced temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes on State Highway 1 during work hours. During this time the start of Ferry Road near the railway lines will also be resurfaced. This means access to and from Ferry Road via SH1 will be closed during work hours. Residents must detour via Tuamarina from Blind Creek Road to Thomas Road, Neal Road onto Chaytors Road, Bothams Bend Road and then Ferry Road.

SH1 Taylor River Bridge

Due to watermain upgrade works stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place on SH1 at the Taylor River Bridge from Sunday 9 November to Thursday 11 December (Sunday to Thursday nights) between 7:30pm and 5:30am. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

Read the Marlborough District Council media release for more information.

SH1/Alabama Road intersection

Night time asphalting work at this site has been brought forward a night and will now be carried out on Sunday 9 and Monday 10 November from 6pm to 7am. Stop/go traffic management and a reduced temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes on State Highway 1 during work hours. During this time a section of Alabama Road, at the SH1 intersection, will also be resurfaced. All traffic needing to access Alabama Road during work hours must detour via Redwood Street.

SH1 Seddon

Drainage works will take place at various sites from Monday 10 until to Friday 28 November, between 6.30am and 6pm (Monday to Friday). Stop/go traffic management will be in place. Expect delays of up to 5 minutes during work hours.

SH1 Ward

Drainage works continue at various sites until Friday 28 November, between 6.30am and 6pm (Monday to Friday). Stop/go traffic management will be in place. Expect delays of up to 5 minutes during work hours.

SH1 north of Cheviot at Downs Road, Spotswood

A road rebuild will take place from Monday 10 November to Wednesday 17 December, from 6am to 6pm on weekdays. Downs Road will be closed during this time. Alternate access is via Sinclair or Phoebe Roads. Expect stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit during work hours.

SH1 Domett

Chipsealing work will take place at two sites on Monday 10 November from 6am to 6pm. A single lane closure will be in place with stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit.

Upcoming night closures on SH1 Weld Pass

Night works are planned for Weld Pass from Sunday 23 November to Friday 5 December. Work will be carried out nightly between 7pm and 5am. There will be one opening at midnight to let queued traffic through the work area. The northbound lane will travel first, followed by the southbound lane.

Weld Pass must be closed to all traffic while the work is completed. It's a narrow road with limited space - resurfacing work and laying asphalt uses large machinery and it simply isn’t possible to allow traffic through the work site while work is underway

Roadworkers will lay just under 3,500 m2 of asphalt to strengthen the road surface of Weld Pass. This will include milling/removing the old surface, before adding new layers. They will make the most of the closure by carrying out other maintenance work including culvert works, clearing drainage and attending to signage and vegetation.

This work's similar to servicing your car or repainting your house -regular maintenance prevents bigger problems down the track.

Read our media release for more information.

SH6 Blenheim to Nelson

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle - resilience work

Resilience works continue between Rai Valley and Hira. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h reduced speed limit is in place 24/7 for the safety of all road users. There are five sites to complete as part of this project, however only one site will be worked on at a time to minimise disruption. Plan ahead for delays of up to 10 minutes when travelling between Nelson and Blenheim while this work is underway.

Read our traffic bulletin for more information.

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle night closures 9-28 November

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle, between Rai Valley and Hira will be closed from Sunday 9 to Friday 28 November (Sunday to Thursday nights) between 8pm and 5:30am for resurfacing and maintenance work.

We'll reopen the road once a night to let traffic through. If you want to travel overnight you’ll need to be at the closure points - the weighbridge in Hira, and on the Rai Valley straight at Rai Engineering & Mechanical, by 12:30am. Please plan carefully to ensure you meet this schedule. If you want to travel between Blenheim and Nelson while the closure is in place you can detour via State Highway 63 and St Arnaud. This will add an extra 45 minutes to travel times.

Read our media release for more information.

SH63 Renwick to Kawatiri Junction

Please note there will be stop/go traffic management in place at multiple locations on State Highway 63 as we carry out minor storm damage repairs. Expect short delays while this work is underway.

SH63 Wairau Valley East

Work to rebuild a 1.3 kilometre section of State Highway 63, on the Renwick side of the Wairau Valley township continues until Friday 12 December. Stop/go traffic management will be in place between 7am and 6pm, Mondays to Saturdays. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit will remain in place 24/7. Plan ahead for delays of up to 10 minutes at this site during work hours.

Read our traffic bulletin for more information.

SH63 West of Waihopai Bridge

Recovery work in the road shoulder continues following the June and July weather events. Work is underway between 7am and 6pm weekends. A 30km/h temporary speed limit is in place 24/7 and stop/go traffic management may be required at times. Expect minor delays at this site.

SH63 Rainbow

Pre-seal works will take place on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 November from 7am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management will be in place. Expect delays of up to 5 minutes.

Storm-damaged Andersons Floodway Bridge, rebuilt and ready for traffic

Andersons Floodway Bridge on SH63 is now open to traffic, just over four months after it was severely damaged during a severe winter storm.

The new, more resilient structure is a significant upgrade on its predecessor that was deemed beyond repair after it was washed out during heavy rain in June.

Building a new bridge quickly without compromising quality was the priority and our team managed to do that by working on smart solutions with local contractors.

By using the design and construct model our contractors were able to begin construction on the new bridge immediately using generic bridge details that were refined as required as construction progressed, saving time and money.

The local community also played a key role in helping the project progress at pace. Landowners were accommodating of us using their land for the temporary diversion, local utilities companies were on board early and promptly relocated lines and cables and Marlborough District Council urgently produced a flood model that informed the design of the new bridge.

The new, longer bridge was built on site with a deep-piled foundation and a wider precast concrete deck, improving both resilience and efficiency. As part of the upgrade, new barriers were installed on the approaches to the bridge, and these, along with the wider deck, mean the new bridge is much safer for traffic.

Read our media release for more information.

The images below show SH63 Andersons Floodway Bridge in June 2025 immediately after the storm event, and the new and improved bridge in November 2025

More information

Please be aware that there may be other less disruptive state highway works not listed in this newsletter. 

All work is subject to weather and other unforeseen circumstances. In the event of unsuitable conditions, work will be rescheduled to the next suitable workday.

For more information on the Marlborough state highway maintenance programme, contact us at Marlboroughmaintenance@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/sh-maintenance-programme/marlborough

For information on Nelson/Tasman, or Canterbury state highway maintenance,  where you can sign up for newsletters that cover other regions.