Manawatū-Whanganui state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 13 December to Friday 19 December

12 December 2025

Photo: Resealing is underway on our Manawatū-Whanganui state highways.

Kia ora,

Welcome to the latest Manawatū-Whanganui state highway planned roadworks update.

As we approach the end of 2025, we are preparing to take a short break in our summer renewals programme over the Christmas/ New Year period.

This will pause non-essential work from 19 December to 5 January to leave the roads as clear as possible for holiday traffic.

Please continue to drive with care, including though sites with temporary traffic management in place, such as recently completed reseal sites. We allow traffic to drive through recently resealed sites at low speeds to help embed loose chip into the freshly resealed surface. These roads are then swept and lined marked.

Below is this week’s list of upcoming planned works on state highways in the region. 

Upcoming roadworks

State highways with scheduled works this week:

• SH1 north of Taihape
• SH1 Mangaweka
• SH1 Bulls
• SH1 Foxton
• SH1 Waitārere
• SH2 north of Norsewood
• SH57 Levin

Before you travel on our state highways, check Journey Planner or Facebook for the latest information.

Dates in this update may change at short notice due to weather or other unforeseen factors, and other less disruptive state highway works may not be listed in this newsletter.

Information current as at 12pm on Friday 12 December 2025.

State Highway 1

SH1 north of Taihape: Drainage clearing and road maintenance work is happening ahead of an upcoming road rebuild, near the intersection of Spooners Hill Road. Works are ongoing to Thursday 18 December, 6am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 10 minutes. More information.

SH1 Mangaweka: Patch repairs are planned on Saturday 13 December, 7.30am to 5.30pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit will be place, with delays of up to 10 minutes. Road workers will return in the new year to complete drainage and resurfacing works.

SH1 Bulls: Night-time asphalt resurfacing works are planned on Bridge Street, near the Bulls Bridge, from Sunday 14 December to Wednesday 17 December. Work will run from 8pm to 6am. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 15 minutes expected. More information.

SH1 Foxton: Night-time flexible median barrier repairs are planned on Thursday 18 December, 7pm to 3am at Manawatū Bridge (Whirokino). Stop/stop traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit will be in place. Traffic may be held for up to 20 minutes at times. More information.

SH1 Waitārere Beach Road intersection: Roundabout construction works are ongoing until late 2026. Works run from 6am to 6pm each day. A lane shift and a 30km/h speed limit is in place. Traffic management will change as works progress. More information.

State Highway 2

SH2 Takapau: We've completed a range of road renewal, roadside safety barrier and vegetation clearing works near the intersection of Vaughan Road, with additional works ongoing until Thursday 18 December. Works run from 6am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 5 minutes at times.

SH2 Eketāhuna: Road maintenance for Newman Road, near Macara Street will now be completed in the new year.

State Highway 57

SH57 Tararua Road: Final asphalting on the roundabout has been rescheduled for Tuesday 16 December, 7pm to 6am, further works may occur on Wednesday night. During the works, SH57/Arapaepae Road is closed between Meadowvale Drive and Kimberley Road, and the eastern and western section of Tararua Road is closed. Line marking is planned for Wednesday 17 December, 7am to 6pm, under stop/go traffic management.

Photo: Sealing underway at SH54 Cheltenham this renewals season.

Resealing: Slow down, settle in, help new seal bed in

This week, roadworkers have been completing resealing road maintenance on SH1, including at the passing lane north of Bulls, and on SH4 between Raetihi and Upokongaro.

Resealing is an important part of our summer renewal programme and helps keep our network safe and reliable by improving road's lifespan.

The seal on a road is like paint on your house - it keeps water out of the structure underneath. Like paint, the seal breaks down over time and starts to let water in. When the surface of a road starts to break down it indicates that it is time to reseal.

Summer is the best time to complete this work as warm temperatures and dry air help the new seal stick to the road surface.

Resealing involves applying a layer of bitumen or emulsion on the road, then adding a layer of chipseal, which is rolled into it. Traffic drives over the fresh seal at low speeds to help embed the chip into the road's freshly renewed surface. It's then swept and lined marked. 

All renewals also receive a 'second-coat' seal the year after they are rebuilt. This is due to the initial renewal only including a single coat of chipseal, which is then allowed to settle for approximately 12 months. The second coat is then added to provide a thick, durable layer of chip seal, waterproofing the surface underneath.

This week, crews completed second-coat seals on SH54 Kimbolton Road. We have a range of second-coat seals planned next year, including on SH56 Opiki following 2 road rebuilds completed last summer.

Stop/go temporary traffic management is often used for this work and we advise people to plan ahead and expect delays.

More information

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

Roadworks listed in this newsletter may be postponed due to rain or other factors that disrupt the weekly schedule.

Check the NZTA Journey Planner for the latest travel information and journey times before starting your journey: journeys.nzta.govt.nz.

For more information on the Manawatū-Whanganui state highway maintenance programme, contact us at info@nzta.govt.nz or via 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 444 449).

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/manawatu-whanganui-maintenance