Marlborough state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 11 to Friday 17 October

10 October 2025

Kia ora and welcome

Kia ora,

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.

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 12:10pm on 10/10/2025.

For the latest updates on road conditions before you travel visit Journey Planner.

SH1 Picton to Christchurch

Due to the number of work sites on State Highway 1 south of Picton (as outlined below) please allow up to 40 minutes extra travel time between Picton and Christchurch. This is especially important for drivers with Picton ferry bookings.

SH1 Lindens Crossing (between Picton and Koromiko)

Work to rebuild State Highway 1 at Lindens Crossing, between Picton and Koromiko is underway. Work will continue until Friday 17 October and will be carried out 24/7 (no work on weekends). During work hours stop/go traffic management will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes at this site.

Read our media release for more information.

SH1 between Para and Speeds Roads (Koromiko)

Various work including sealing patching, road sweeping and line marking will be underway from Wednesday 15 to Saturday 18 October between 6.30am and 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and a reduced speed limit will be in place during work hours. Expect delays of up to 5 minutes.

SH1 Taimate (south of the saltworks)

Road resealing will be carried out on State Highway 1 near Taimate on Wednesday 15 October from 7am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH1 south of Ward

A road rebuild covering a 600-metre section of State Highway 1, south of Ward, is underway. From Mondays to Saturdays stop/go traffic management is in place between 7am and 6pm. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit remains in place 24/7. Plan ahead for delays of up to 10 minutes at this site during work hours. This work is scheduled to be completed on Friday 24 October.

Read our traffic bulletin for more information.

State Highway 1 - south of Ward (Monday 6 October). Roadworkers begin by ripping the road surface to allow water to move through. This prevents water being trapped in the new surface which could cause damage to the newly rebuilt road.

SH1 School House Road intersection (Kaikōura)

Chipsealing work will be underway at this location on Monday 13 October from 6am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place during work hours. Expect delays of up to 15 minutes.

SH1 Kahutara River to Limrock (just south of South Bay Parade, Kaikōura)

Due to adverse weather, chipsealing work at various locations between Kahutara River and Limrock has been pushed out and will now be completed by Friday 17 October. Work is being carried out between 6am and 6pm under stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit. Expect short delays.

SH1 Toki-Anau North (just south of Raramai Tunnel)

Chipsealing work will be underway at this location on Tuesday 14 October from 6am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place during work hours. Expect delays of up to 20 minutes.

SH1 between SH71 Lineside Road and Williams Street (near Kaiapoi)

Night work for pavement testing investigation commences on Monday 13 October for six nights from 9pm to 5am. Work will begin in the northbound lane which will close for approximately three nights. Work will then switch to the southbound lane which will be closed for approximately three nights. Work will also be carried out at the SH1/Williams Street intersection. During work hours detours will be in place via Smith Street and Williams Street. Please refer to the map below.

Upcoming work - SH1 Picton

SH1 - Wairau Road, Picton 

Our team will be onsite on State Highway 1, Wairau Road in Picton from Sunday 19 October until Friday 24 October to resurface a 350 metre section of the highway between Dorset Street and Kent Street. Work will be carried out under stop/go traffic management between 6pm and 6am. Plan ahead for delays of up to 10 minutes during this time. A 30km temporary speed limit will be in place while this work is undertaken and will remain in place outside of work hours. A short detour will be in place for Kent Street and Dorset Street residents who need to access State Highway 1 during work hours. This resurfacing work involves removing the existing road surface and repairing the road, before applying new asphalt and line marking. 

Read our traffic bulletin for more information.

SH6 Blenheim to Nelson

Signage and barrier installation on SH6 between Nelson and Blenheim

Work to install new signage and barriers at several sites between Woodbourne and Hira is being carried out from 7am to 7pm on weekdays. Only one site will be worked on at a time to minimise disruption. Stop/go traffic management will be required at some of the barrier installation sites and 30km/h speed restrictions will be in place. Expect short delays. This work is scheduled to be completed by Friday 31 October.

SH6 Canvastown (near Daltons Bridge)

Rock scaling work will be underway on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 October between 8am and 4.30pm. Stop/go traffic management will be in place when rocks are removed from site. Plan ahead for short delays.

SH6 Canvastown 

Road resealing will be carried out on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 October from 7am to 6pm. During this time stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH6 Pelorus

Road resealing will be underway on Friday 17 October from 7am to 6pm. During this time stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle

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.

Upcoming work - SH6 Blenheim to Nelson

State Highway 6 - Whangamoa Saddle night closures

We’ll be closing State Highway 6 Whangamoa Saddle, between Rai Valley and Hira for three weeks of night time resurfacing and maintenance works in November as our top of the south summer roadworks continue. The closure will be in place from Sunday 9 until Friday 28 November, Sunday to Thursday nights between 8pm and 5:30am.

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.

It’s important we complete these works as quickly and as safely as possible which is why we’ve planned this work to be carried out at night, when there are fewer vehicles using the road. During the closure roadworkers will reseal sections of the highway, clear drainage, replace a culvert, carry out resilience improvements, and other general maintenance work to ensure the road is in good shape before the summer holidays.

We know this will be disruptive but given the narrowness of the road and the heavy equipment being used for resurfacing, the highway must be closed to keep you and roadworkers safe. If you want to travel between Blenheim and Nelson overnight 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

SH63 Andersons Bridge

Work continues to replace Andersons Bridge on State Highway 63 following the June and July 2025 storm events. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h reduced speed limit remains in place 24/7 at this site. Plan ahead for short delays. This work is scheduled for completion in mid-October.

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, began on Monday 6 October and will continue until Friday 12 December. Stop/go traffic management is in place between 7am and 6pm, Mondays to Saturdays. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit is 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.

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

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.