Manawatū-Whanganui state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 31 January to Friday 6 February

30 January 2026

Kia ora,

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

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

Some of our state highways are busy with traffic this summer, so give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination, and keep up to date with planned works via Journey Planner.  

Upcoming roadworks

State highways with scheduled works this week:

• SH1 north of Taihape
• SH1 Waitārere
• SH2 Makirikiri Bridge, Mangamaire, and Mangatainoka
• SH3 Whakarongo
• SH4 Raetihi
• SH43 Taumarunui
• SH56 Opiki
• SH57 Shannon

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 30 January 2026.

State Highway 1

SH1 north of Taihape: Road rebuild works are underway near the intersection of Spooners Hill Road. Works are ongoing until Monday 2 February, 6am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 25 minutes at peak travel times. More information. 

SH1 Foxton: Road rebuild and drainage works will take place near the intersection of Wall Road from Tuesday 10 February to Tuesday 24 March. Work will run from 6pm to 6am under stop/go traffic management, with 15-minute delays expected.

SH1 Waitārere roundabout: For 3 nights from Monday 2 February to Wednesday 4 February our contractor, Higgins, will complete night works at the intersection of SH1 and Waitārere Beach Road as they construct a roundabout at this intersection. Work will take place overnight between 6pm and 6am, and will include the installation of stormwater drainage, and road surfacing. Stop/go traffic controls will be in place during work hours, with a temporary speed limit of 30 km/h in place. There will be delays of up to 5 minutes.

SH1 Manawatū Bridge (Whirokino Trestle), Foxton: From Sunday 15 February for the duration of 3 shifts, road resurfacing work and flexible median barrier repairs will take place at Manawatū Bridge (Whirokino). Work will take place over 2 nights and 1 day shift. During these work times, a section of SH1 will be under a one-way closure for southbound traffic, with a detour in place. SH1 will remain open for northbound traffic at all times, with a reduced speed limit in place.

• A nighttime closure is in place on Sunday 15 February from 7pm to 5am.
• A daytime closure is in place on Monday 16 February from 9am to 2:30pm.
• A nighttime closure is in place on Monday 2 March from 7pm to 5am. 

The detour route for southbound traffic is via Foxton Shannon Road to State Highway 57, Shannon to Queen Street East, and back to State Highway 1 in Levin.

State Highway 2

SH2 Mangatainoka: Road rebuild and drainage works are underway at Mangatainoka, near the Ruawhata Road. Works are ongoing until Tuesday 3 February, 6am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 5 minutes. More information.

SH2 Makirikiri Bridge: Patch repairs are ongoing at Makirikiri Bridge south of Dannevirke to Saturday 31 January. Works are ongoing from 6pm to 6am under a mixture of stop/go and stop/stop traffic management, with delays of up to 20 minutes expected. More information.

SH2 Mangamaire: Maintenance work is underway at the SH2/Tutaekara Road intersection until 5pm on Friday 30 January. Stop/go traffic management is in place with delays of up to 10 minutes. More information.

SH2 Woodville: Asphalt resurfacing works are planned for Vogel Street, Woodville from Sunday 8 February to Monday 16 March 2026. This work will be completed in 2 phases, under a full night-time closure, 6pm to 6am. Expect changing traffic management and detour routes, including during the day. More information. 

State Highway 2 - Upcoming road closure for Woodville

Asphalt resurfacing works for SH2 Vogel Street, Woodville, are taking place from Sunday 8 February to Monday 16 March 2026. This work will be completed in 2 phases with changing temporary traffic management and detour routes, including during the day. 

Phase 1:

• From Sunday 8 February to Tuesday 24 February from 6pm to 6am, works will be underway on SH2 between Ross Street and McLean Street.
• During this time, road users (cars and other light vehicles) will detour using Tay Street to Station Street, back to SH2. 
• Traffic management will change during the day. From 6am to 6pm, northbound traffic will travel through the worksite on SH2. All southbound traffic will continue to use the detour.

The detour for all freight and heavy vehicles is: SH3 to Woodlands Road to Oxford Road to Pinfold Road back to SH2. This will be in place 24/7 for 5 weeks for the duration of the works. Temporary traffic lights and a temporary 10km/h speed limit will be in place at the Oxford Road bridge.

Further information about phase 2 will be provided in future updates closer to the time.

Photo: The light vehicle detour route for phase 1 of the SH2 Woodville works.

State Highway 3

SH3 Whakarongo: A road rebuild is underway on SH3 between Roberts Line and Stoney Creek Road until Thursday 5 February. Night works will run Sunday to Friday from 6pm to 6am, with a daytime shift between 9am and 3pm on Monday 2 February. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, and delays of up to 10 minutes are expected. More information.

State Highway 4

SH4 Raetihi: Road rebuild and drainage works are underway on Parapara Road, Raetihi, between Seddon Street and Alexandra Road. Works are ongoing to Monday 9 February, 6am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 15 minutes. More information.

State Highway 56 - Upcoming road closure at Opiki

SH56, Opiki: Resealing works are underway on SH56 at Opiki, now until 6pm Saturday 31 January. This work has been extended due to wet weather.

This is for second-coat seals on the rebuilds completed last season. A daytime road closure is in place each day from 6am to 6pm, excluding Sundays. Access to residents, businesses and the school remains.

The detour is via SH57 or SH1. Plan ahead and allow for extra time. The road will be open outside of these work hours.

All renewals receive a second coat seal the year after they are rebuilt. The first coat is left to settle for about 12 months, and the second coat is then applied to create a thick, more durable and waterproof surface.

Photo: The detour is via SH57 or SH1.

State Highway 57

SH57 Shannon: A road rebuild will take place on SH57 north of Shannon from Tuesday 3 February to Friday 13 March. Night works will run from 6pm to 6am each day with stop/go in place and delays of 10 minutes. A temporary 30km/h speed limit will be in place outside of work hours.

SH57 Levin: Drainage works will take place on SH57/ Arapaepae Road from Monday 9 February to Friday 13 February. Works will run from 7:30am to 5pm with stop/go in place and delays of 5 minutes.

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