West Coast and Alpine Passes state highway planned roadworks

Tuesday 9 December to Monday 15 December 2025

8 December 2025

Kia ora,

Welcome to the latest West Coast state highway planned roadworks update.

All roadworks will pause for the Christmas and New Year period, with contractors shutting down sites from midday Friday 19 December, returning early morning Monday 5 January. Long-term sites may have ongoing restrictions in place.

To stay updated on road conditions before you travel visit Journey planner

Below is current at 10.30am on Monday 8 December 2025

SH6/SH7 Cobden Bridge, Greymouth. Daily closures Monday 8 to Thursday 11 December.

The bridge will close daily from 10 am to 2 pm, Monday 8 to Thursday 11 December, for rock scaling and hazard removal. All motor vehicle traffic will detour through Stillwater during these closures. People walking and cycling can still use the bridge via Mawhera Quay.

SH6 Upper and Lower Buller Gorge

No significant works scheduled for this week.

SH6 Westport to Greymouth

SH6 Candle Light: Road repair work will take place from 9 to 15 December. Stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place, with delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH6 Barrytown to Greymouth: Road marking will take place at night between 9 and 13 December. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, and you can expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH6 11 Mile: Drop out repair will take place from 8 to 15 December. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will apply.

SH6 Greymouth to Franz Josef

SH6 Greymouth to Hokitika: Road marking will take place at night from 9-13 December. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, and you can expect short delays.

SH6 Ruatapu: Electronet crews will replace poles on 9 and 11 December. Stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place, with delays of up to 5 minutes.

SH6 Te Taho: A road reconstruction is underway and will continue through December 2025. Stop/go traffic management is in place, and you can expect delays of up to 20 minutes.

SH6 Franz Josef: Chip sealing will take place 12-14 December. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place, with delays of up to 20 minutes.

SH6 Franz Josef to Haast Pass

SH6 Pleasant Flat: Road stabilising and repairs are underway until 12 December. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place, with delays of up to 10 minutes

Crews will continue to clean up storm damage at various sites through the week. Expect stop/go traffic management, a 30 km/h temporary speed limit, and short delays.

SH7 Lewis Pass Waipara to Greymouth

SH7 Ngahere to Kamaka: Pavement repairs will take place between 9 and 12 December. Stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place, with delays of 5 to 10 minutes.

SH7 Kamaka: Pavement repairs will take place on 11,12 and 15 December. Stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place, with delays of 20 minutes.

SH7 Dobson: Electronet crews will carry out vegetation control on 9 December. Stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place, with delays of up to 5 minutes.

SH73 Porters and Arthurs Pass

SH73 Arthurs Pass to Otira (Otira Gorge): Washout repairs are underway with stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit in place. Expect delays of 5 to 10 minutes.

Other West Coast highways

No significant works scheduled for this week.

SH8 Lindis Pass

No significant works scheduled for this week.

Planning around the weather on the West Coast

The West Coast of the South Island is known for its unpredictable and extreme weather, which makes long-term planning for road maintenance particularly challenging. While our teams monitor forecasts closely, they can only confirm work programmes about a week in advance with any real certainty and even then, plans may need to change at short notice.

Because this newsletter covers a large geographical area, it's important to note that weather conditions can vary significantly from one part of the Coast to another. Sudden changes are common, and they directly impact when and where our crews can operate.

To ensure a high-quality finish, road safety, and long-term resilience, our teams 'chase the good weather', taking advantage of favourable conditions whenever and wherever they occur. This flexible approach allows us to make the most of short weather windows and deliver the best possible outcomes for the network.

More information

For more information on the West Coast state highway maintenance programme, contact us at Passesmaintenance@nzta.govt.nz

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