Marlborough Roads Recovery Update

6 March 2025

This Weeks Summary

From mid-March, construction closures are planned at the following locations: Pukenui Road, Queen Charlotte Drive, Moetapu Bay Road and Kenepuru Road, approximately 5km past The Heads. Please see the road closure section for more information.

Construction on Torea barge ramp is now underway. Works will be carried out from Monday to Saturday between 6am and 8pm. Temporary pedestrian access to the jetty is in place while construction is underway. 

Tree felling is scheduled from 10 to 14 March on Kenepuru Road at Nopera. Please plan ahead for delays of up to 30 minutes. 

Drainage improvements and culvert installations on Moetapu Bay Road continue. Work will be completed under a road closure from Wednesday 12 March.

On Croisilles-French Pass Road construction will begin on a road retreat just prior to the Elaine Bay intersection.

Rock revetment works at Dalton's Bridge are now complete with the road reinstated. Planting at this site is still to be completed. 

Drainage improvements on Pukenui Road are scheduled to begin from Monday 10 March under daytime construction closures. Please refer to the road closures section for more information. 

Bridge abutment protection works at Craiglochart Bridge, Waihopai Valley are now complete.

When travelling near or past our work sites, please ensure you keep outside any fences or barriers for your safety. Adhere to, and do not move any traffic or safety management in place (i.e. cones/signs/traffic lights).

Keep reading for information on:

• Road closures
• Kenepuru Road
• Kaituna
• Moetapu Bay
• Pelorus
• Queen Charlotte Drive
• Waihopai Valley

Road closures

Pukenui Road - Queen Charlotte Drive

From Monday 10 March, Pukenui Road will be closed to all traffic from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

The closure is planned for three weeks for drainage improvements and road reinstatement works. Our team will then move onto Queen Charlotte Drive for the next stage of works.

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Night time Closures - Queen Charlotte Drive 

On Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 April Queen Charlotte Drive will be closed above Pukenui Road, midway between Havelock and Linkwater from 7pm to 5am with openings on the hour until 11pm. Works are planned to finish at 5am on Thursday 10 April. If works are delayed due to weather or other unforeseeable circumstances Thursday 10 and Friday 11 April will be contingency days for these works. 

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Moetapu Bay Road - Drifwood Corner

From Wednesday 12 until Monday 17 March, Moetapu Bay Road at Driftwood Corner will be closed to all traffic for a  culvert installation. The closures will be in place on weekdays from 9am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 3pm. 

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5km from Kenepuru Heads - Kenepuru Road 

From Wednesday 12 March to Friday 14 March daytime construction closures will be in place on Kenepuru Road, approximately 5km past Kenepuru Heads towards Waitaria Bay for drainage improvements and culvert installation. The closures will be in place from 8.30am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 5pm.

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To view the closure locations, please visit the CDEM map.

Outside of the closure days and times, works will be carried out under stop/go traffic management with up to 10 minute delays. If you have any concerns, please contact recovery@marlboroughroads.com.

The round sign with a red border, two arrows and GIVEWAY indicates that a priority giveway is in place on the road ahead. 

The large black arrow on the sign shows the direction of traffic that has right of way, and can proceed first if traffic is at both ends of the road.

When approaching a priority giveway, please slow down and check for vehicles that may already be driving on the road, before proceeding.

Important!
When coming up to a one-lane section of road with priority giveway, take note of the signs:

• A red circle shows you must give way.
• The arrows show the direction in which traffic is travelling on the road. 
• The large black arrow indicates which vehicle has priority.
• The smaller red arrow shows the vehicle that should give way.  

Current Kenepuru Road restrictions

Kenepuru Road is open to the public, with overweight and overlength vehicle restrictions in place. 

Reduced speed limit signage and temporary traffic lights are in place at Portage Heights, the 'water tank slip' site and approximately 500m beyond Nikau Cove (when travelling from Portage). All three sites have a 30km temporary speed limit in place. Please expect minor delays and follow all traffic management signage.

Vehicle restrictions remain on Kenepuru Road from Linkwater to the Heads as follows:

Vehicle Restrictions

Vehicles up to 12.6m in length, and 6 tonne in weight can travel on Kenepuru Road and side roads.

To apply for a permit for an over dimension vehicle to travel on Kenepuru Road, email recovery@marlboroughroads.com or call 0800 213 213. 

There are the following hazards on this section of Kenepuru Road and its side roads including Moetapu Bay Road:

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

Other recovery roads

Please be aware that on all roads, works may be in progress and/or traffic management in place. Please expect delays and follow all signage and traffic management.

Heavy rain may lead to roads being closed at short notice. Regardless of the status of the road, please drive to the conditions.

To check the status of a road before you travel, please visit the CDEM Map.

French Pass

Works on a road retreat on Croisilles-French Pass Road, at the Elaine Bay Road intersection, is scheduled to begin later this month. This work will require daytime construction closures. More information on the closures will be provided soon.

Kaituna

Tree removal half way along Kaituna-Tuamarina Road was completed this week. Rock scaling at this site is scheduled for late March. 

Kenepuru Road

Construction at 'Water Tank slip' is complete and the traffic lights at this site have now been removed. New signage will soon be installed on this section of the road. This is one of several stretches of Kenepuru Road that will operate under priority giveway. Please refer to the priority giveway section of this newsletter for more information. 

Temporary traffic lights remain in place at Portage Heights and approximately 500m beyond Nikau Cove (when travelling from Portage). Both sites have a 30km temporary speed limit in place. Please expect minor delays and follow all traffic management signage.

This week construction at Torea barge ramp began. Construction at this site will be carried out from Monday to Saturday between the hours of 6am to 8pm, to work in with tides. Temporary pedestrian access to the jetty from the road is to available while work is underway.

Next week from Monday 10 to Friday 14 March, short road closures of up to 30 minutes will be in place near the Nopera Golf Course for tree felling. 

Minor works, shoulder support and road stabilisation on Kenepuru Road between the Heads and Waitaria Bay is underway. There are multiple active sites under construction within this section, each with short delays. Please plan ahead if travelling through this section of Kenepuru Road to allow for extra travel time.

From Wednesday 12 March daytime construction closures will be in place on Kenepuru Road, approximately 2km past Ohauparuparu Bay for drainage improvements and culvert installation. Please see the road closure section for further information.

For two weeks from Monday 10 March, please expect an increase in truck movements from Linkwater to Kenepuru Heads on week days. Piloted truck and trailer loads will be carting material leaving Linkwater around 5.30am and 11am making return trips. 

Please note we are currently undertaking unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveying of Kenepuru Road and surrounding areas. The UAV surveys topographical features of the road and surrounding slopes/slips to inform designs.

Sealing complete at Water Tank slip, Kenepuru Road

Construction completed at Water Tank slip, Kenepuru Road

Pavement prepared for sealing at Elephant Point, Moetapu Bay Road

Construction at Torea barge ramp began this week

Work is being navigated around the tides and working with jetty users at Torea barge ramp 

Moetapu Bay

Road sealing at Elephant Point on Moetapu Bay Road was completed this week.

From Wednesday 12 March to Monday 17 March daytime construction closures are required, prior to Driftwood corner, for the installation of a culvert that traverses the road. Please refer to the road closure section for more information. 

Outside of these road closures works will be completed under stop/go traffic management. Please plan ahead for minor delays.

Pelorus

Construction at Dalton's Bridge has now been completed, with road sweeping to be undertaken this week. Landscaping and planting at this site will be completed in March.

On Friday 7 March our crew will be establishing on site for abutment scour protection work at Kaiuma Bay Bridge. From Monday 10 March works under the bridge will be undertaken.

From mid-March, works further along Kaiuma Bay Road, 2km before the end of the road, will begin once the bridge abutment work is complete. These works will include pavement repair, drainage improvements and culvert repairs. Please plan ahead for minor delays. 

Road re-instatement at Dalton's Bridge, following the completion of rock revetment works on the riverbank

Rock revetment works complete at Dalton's Bridge

Queen Charlotte Drive

From Monday 10 March drainage improvements and road reinstatement on Pukenui Road will begin under daily road closures for three weeks. 

On Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 of April Queen Charlotte Drive, half way between Havelock and Linkwater above Pukenui Road, will be under night time construction closures, with openings on the hour to complete drainage improvements.

Please see the road closure section of this newsletter for more information on these closures. 

Last week work to clear an overslip in Momorangi Bay was completed. This work included channel and water table and storm water clearance.

Momorangi overslip clearance on Queen Charlotte Drive

Waihopai Valley

Abutment protection works at Craiglochart Bridge were completed this week and the crew has now disestablished from the site. 

Repairs to the concrete pier under the bridge are scheduled to be completed during March. This work will not impact road or river users. 

Abutment protection rocks placed at Craiglochart Bridge

Further Information

Marlborough Roads 0800 213 213, between 9.00am - 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.

For more information on the Marlborough Roads recovery project or to subscribe to this newsletter, contact us at recovery@marlboroughroads.com

Visit our webpage: www.nzta.govt.nz/marlborough-roads-recovery

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. 

If you require welfare support contact Marlborough District Council on 03 520 7400 or email mdc@marlborough.govt.nz

If you require an overlength permit for vehicles over 12.6m to travel on Queen Charlotte Drive between Linkwater and Picton please email Marlborough Roads NZTA Office, 4 Market Street Blenheim on MRoadsadmin@nzta.govt.nz