This Week's Summary

Due to recent wet weather work at some of the recovery sites was delayed this week.

Kenepuru Road to the Heads, and its side roads remain restricted to residents, emergency and essential services.

Daltons Bridge, near Kaiuma Bay Road, is closed to all vehicles 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is a diversion in place via Te Hoiere Road. Please see the road closure section for more information. 

Multiple work sites on Queen Charlotte Drive between the mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) wall site near Cullen Point and Ngakuta Bay remain in place. Please factor more time into your travel plans and expect delays. Worksite locations include:

• The MSE wall near Cullen Point (approx 1.7km from SH6/Havelock turnoff).
• The installation of a new culvert near Moenui Road.
• The construction of a retaining wall 450m past Aussie Bay when travelling towards Picton.
• The construction of a retaining wall, 1.3km prior to Ngakuta Bay when travelling towards Picton.

Works at the above locations are under stop/go traffic management, please expect delays.

Work on the new boat ramp in French Pass township was completed today.

Construction of a new retaining wall just prior to Portage on Kenepuru Road will continue next week. 

Work to build a new bridge, upstream of the current temporary bailey bridge on Waihopai Valley Road is underway.

Please ensure you keep to the reduced temporary speed limits when travelling through worksites to ensure the safety of our crews and road users. We thank you for your patience.

When walking near or through our worksites, please keep animals on a leash. 

Keep reading for information on:

• Contact Information 
• Sounds roading recovery moves forward
• Kenepuru Road Restrictions
• Road Closures
• Road Restrictions
• Resident Definition
• French Pass
• Kenepuru Road
• Northbank
• Pelorus
• Port Underwood Road 
• Queen Charlotte Drive
• Waihopai Valley

Contact Information

Phone: 0800 213 213 or 03 520 8024, between 8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Email: recovery@marlboroughroads.com

If you require welfare support contact recovery@marlborough.govt.nz or phone Council on 03 520 7400.

For more information:

For local roading alerts/updates go to Marlborough District Council's website.

Sign up to the Antenno app to receive notifications on your phone.

Check the Civil Defence Emergency Management map for road access restrictions. 

Sounds roading recovery moves forward

Mayor Nadine Taylor and councillors discussed the 365 public submissions received on Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) 2024 to 2034 on Monday 24 June.

Following deliberation, Council has agreed to progress the Sounds roading recovery with a number of changes made to the proposals in the LTP Consultation Document.

The recommendations include adopting Option 2(d) from the LTP Consultation Document for the recovery funding, with the following three amendments:
• All marine costs are now excluded from the LTP except $500k for a targeted study, thereby reducing the current uncertainty on the scope and viability of any future marine works;
• Tranches 1 and 2 road repairs expenditure were included in the calculation of the cost share allocation between the Sounds’ zones;
• Increase the proportion paid by non-Sounds residents to 74.5% of Marlborough's contribution to the repairs.

A funding application has now been sumbitted to NZ Transport Agency, Waka Kotahi for the Sounds roading recovery repair works, totalling $141M. 

For more information on the Long Term Plan visit the Council's website.

View Council's full media release here.

Road Closure

Daltons Bridge, Pelorus

Dalton's Bridge is closed to all traffic to allow for bridge abutment repairs. This closure is in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A detour is in place via Te Hoiere Road for all traffic.

These works are expected to take approximately 6 weeks.

Kenepuru Road Restrictions

Kenepuru Road to the Heads, and its side roads remain restricted to residents, emergency and essential services. 

These roads have severe storm damage and entry into this section of Kenepuru Road is at resident and emergency or essential service drivers' discretion. 

Extreme care should be exercised and daylight driving only is strongly recommended. 

Residents vehicles up to 12.6m in length, and 6 tonne in weight can travel on Kenepuru Road and the following side roads; Mahau Road, Torea Road and Moetapu Bay Road as far as Double Bay Reserve. 

This means residents can access boat launching areas at Double Bay Reserve, Torea and at Portage. 

On all other side roads, between Kenepuru Road to the Heads no vehicles over 8m in length or 3.5 tonne in weight are permitted. 

The Marlborough District Council's barge subsidy is available for resident's vehicles that are outside these dimensions.

The Council's water taxi subsidy is available for residents, workers and visitors to areas in the Marlborough Sounds that were previously accessible by road. 

For more information on the Council's transport subsidies visit their website. 

For a full list of what is deemed an emergency or essential service visit the Council's website.

The following restrictions apply on this section of Kenepuru Road and it's side roads including Moetapu Bay Road;

• No campervans, vans or buses.
• Only 4WD and light vehicles.
• On Kenepuru Road to the Heads, Torea Road, Mahau Road and Moetapu Bay Road to Double Bay Reserve, no vehicles over 12.6m in length or 6 tonne in weight. 

On all side roads off Kenepuru Road to the Heads, excluding Torea Road, Mahau Road and Moetapu Bay Road to Double Bay Reserve, no vehicles more than 8 metres in length or 3.5 tonne.

Residents only are permitted to walk and cycle on the restricted access section of Kenepuru Road and Moetapu Bay Road.

There are the following hazards on this section of Kenepuru Road and Moetapu Bay Road;

• Slips.
• Drop outs.
• Single lane in places.
• Increased hazard during rain.
• Uneven surfaces and gravel sections.

Road Restrictions

Queen Charlotte Drive between Linkwater and Picton is open to all vehicles less than 12.6m. Vehicles over 12.6m must obtain a permit to drive on this section of Queen Charlotte Drive. These permits can be obtained by emailing the Marlborough Roads NZTA office on MRoadsadmin@nzta.govt.nz.

Anakiwa Road is open to vehicles less than 12.6m. Beyond Tirimoana Jetty, only light vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes are allowed, unless by prior arrangement.

French Pass and Tennyson Inlet are accessible, but drivers should be aware that the road is narrower than usual in some sections.

Please be aware that on all roads, including those with public access, there may be areas of works and traffic management in place. Please expect delays and follow all signage and traffic management.

Heavy rain may lead to roads needing to be closed urgently. No matter the status of the road, drive to the conditions.

To check the status of a road before you travel, please visit the Civil Defence Emergency Map.

Resident Definition

The definition of a resident, in terms of who is able to access roads restricted to resident and emergency services is; 

A permanent resident, owner of a holiday home/bach, or the owner of a commercial interest.

It does not include visitors who are hiring or renting a holiday home or bach, where rental arrangements have been made through either a property letting agency or directly with the owner. 

French Pass

Construction of the new boat ramp in French Pass township that began last week, was completed today. 

The French Pass boat ramp during construction

Kenepuru

At the new retaining wall site on Kenepuru Road near Portage, works have been carried out off-site this week, tying a reinforcing cage for the beam; which will be installed next week.

Bund clearance was carried out this week between Onahau Road and Portage. Next week, this work is planned to move to between Portage and The Heads.

Starting tomorrow, sealing is planned on Kenepuru Road between Moetapu Bay Road and The Heads.

Pavement remediation work is now complete in the Kenepuru area for its current phase.

All the above works are weather permitting and will be carried out under stop/go traffic management between 7.30am and 5pm. Please plan ahead for minor delays. 

Northbank

For your safety, and that of other road users please ensure you adhere to the traffic lights on Northbank Road, 17.5km from the start of the road. The lights are required due to unstable rock on the bluff and slopes at the site. The lights are positioned so that vehicles are stopped in low risk areas. We are regularly monitoring the lights to make sure they are operational. This is a complex site and our design and construction teams are working hard to find the most appropriate solution. Once the preferred option is selected, works will begin and the traffic lights will be removed. 

Pelorus

Dalton's Bridge is closed to all traffic to allow for bridge abutment repairs. This closure is in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A detour is in place via Te Hoiere Road for all traffic. These works are expected to take approximately 6 weeks to complete.

This week, crews established on-site at Dalton's Bridge and started excavation work for the abutment repairs. 

Work at Kaiuma Bay Bridge to undertake scour protection, 2km prior to the Kaiuma Bay settlement, is now planned to start next week. These works will be carried out under stop/go traffic management.

Port Underwood Road

The construction of a retaining wall and installation of a culvert approximately 4km from the Picton end of Port Underwood Road, near Whatamango Bay is now complete.

Sealing on Port Underwood Road 

Queen Charlotte Drive

There are multiple recovery sites under construction along the length of Queen Charlotte Drive. Work at these sites is under stop/go traffic management, please expect delays. 

Crews continue working on the construction of a mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) wall from the base upwards on Queen Charlotte Drive (approximately 1.7km from the SH6/Havelock turnoff) near Cullen Point, Mahakipawa Hill. This week, crews have installed the downstream section of culvert along with additional outlet works.

Work to install a new culvert and repair the road continues, just prior to Moenui Road when travelling from Havelock. This week ground beam construction has been undertaken. Next week, anchoring for the downstream slope stablisation is planned. 

Work continues 450m past Aussie Bay at the second retaining wall site. This week crews have continued backfilling the wall, as weather has allowed. Next week surfacing works are planned. This work is weather dependant.

The construction of a retaining wall, 1.3km prior to Ngakuta Bay when travelling towards Picton is underway. This week crews have started drilling and installing H piles.

Please note there will be increased truck movements while work is being carried out. Please plan ahead for delays.

Please keep to the reduced temporary speed limits when you're travelling through our worksites to ensure the safety of crews and road users. We thank you for your patience.

Tying reinforcing steel around a new culvert near Cullen Point

Boxing the ground beam on the downstream side of the new culvert near Moenui 

Waihopai Valley

Crews have been working on the foundation piles at the new bridge site on Waihopai Valley Road.  

The current bailey bridge will continue to operate as crews build the new bridge. Please expect increased activity around this area. 

Foundation piles are being installed for the new bridge