Top of the South speed management

Speed limit changes – State Highway 6 Blenheim to Nelson

12 June 2025

Speed limit changes – State Highway 6 Blenheim to Nelson

If you are travelling on State Highway 6 between Blenheim and Nelson next week, you'll see new speed limits on some sections of the road.

Seven sections of the route will have new speed limits of 100km/h coming into effect on Monday, 16 June.

We acknowledge there are a range of views on speed from road users and communities. These sections of State Highway 6 were consulted on earlier this year and results showed there was not majority support to retain the lower speed limits on them.

You can view the consultation summary report here.

These changes are aligned with the Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 (the Rule), which required the speed limit on these seven sections to reverse to the original higher speed by 1 July 2025, unless there was majority public support to keep the lower speed limit.

The Rule legalises the Government’s expectation that speed limits on New Zealand’s roads will be managed in a way that supports economic growth, boosts productivity, and enables people to get to where they are going quickly and safely. 

While speed limits are increasing on this state highway corridor, we want to remind people the 100 km/h is the speed limit, it is not a target. People must drive to the conditions at all times and take proper care when travelling the route.

It is also a timely reminder, that heavy vehicles and towing vehicles are still limited to 90km/h. By law it’s illegal for heavy vehicles and for people towing to travel over 90km/h.

Please note, for the section at Woodbourne, there was an error in what was showed during consultation.  The section west of Jacksons Rd, Woodbourne to east of SH6/SH63 Intersection, Renwick was changed to 80 km/h prior to 2020, which means this section will stay at 80 km/h. The section between west of Rose St, Blenheim to west of Jacksons Rd, Woodbourne will be changed to 100 km/h.

The outcome of the speed reviews for SH6 Marybank and Wakefield North are being finalised and will be shared soon.