Nelson/Tasman state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 8 November to Friday 14 November

7 November 2025

SH6 Coal Creek, 5 November 2025

Kia ora and welcome

Kia ora,

Welcome to the latest Nelson/Tasman 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.

If you are travelling, remember to check Journey Planner for the latest updates on road conditions. Expect increased traffic volumes on State Highway 6 this weekend for Garden Marlborough and the Marlborough A&P Show. 

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 2:30pm on 7/11/2025.

Full steam ahead for chipsealing work in the top of the South

With the state highway summer maintenance season picking up the pace in the top of the South Island you can expect to see multiple chipsealing sites in the lead-up to Christmas.

This work is essential and ensures the region's highways remain safe and resilient. After the recent spate of wet weather, the focus is on getting as much road resurfacing completed before Christmas and the busier holiday season.

We know people commonly ask why there are more road works at this time of the year. The simple answer is permanent repairs need good weather to be effective and can't be done during the wet and cold winter months.

In Nelson/Tasman, all chipsealing sites will be completed before Christmas. Expect to see work on State Highway 6 between Wakefield and Murchison, State Highway 60 in Motueka and State Highway 60 in Golden Bay.

If you're travelling to the West Coast and further south over summer you can also expect to come upon chipseal operations during your journeys.

Stop/go controls will be in place while chipseal work is underway. Temporary speed limits will apply day and night and remain in place until the new surface beds in. Crews will then sweep the new surface before re-applying road markings. Please stick to the reduced speed limit - if you drive too fast, you will damage the road surface, meaning the work has to be redone. Driving too fast can also cause stone chips to flick up and damage other vehicles.

We will continue to update you each week on the upcoming chipsealing sites, as well as other planned work on our state highways.

For an overview of all chipsealing sites between now and Christmas, you can read our media release.

SH6 Nelson to Blenheim

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle - resilience work

Resilience works continue between Rai Valley and Hira. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h reduced speed limit is in place 24/7. 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.

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle night closures 9-28 November

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle, between Rai Valley and Hira will be closed from Sunday 9 to Friday 28 November (Sunday to Thursday nights) between 8pm and 5:30am for resurfacing and maintenance work.

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. If you want to travel between Blenheim and Nelson while the closure is in place you can detour via State Highway 63 and St Arnaud. This will add an extra 45 minutes to travel times.

Read our traffic bulletin for more information.

SH6 Rocks Road

SH6 Rocks Road, Richardson Street to Magazine Point

Crews continue to carry out rock scaling and vegetation removal, and will remove old netting and install new mesh on the cliff face. Work is underway on Sunday to Thursday nights from 8pm to 5:30am until Friday 21 November. Stop/go traffic lights and a 30 km/h speed limit is in place during work hours. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes. At times traffic will be stopped in both directions for short periods of time while crews install new mesh.

Read out media release for more information.

SH6 Nelson to Greymouth

Due to the number of work sites on State Highway 6 (as outlined below) please allow up to 30 minutes extra travel time between Wakefield and Murchison.

SH6 Spooners Saddle, near Doctor's Creek Bridge

Chipsealing will be carried out from Monday 10 to Wednesday 12 November from 7am until 5pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect minor delays during work hours. A 50km/h temporary speed limit will apply outside work hours and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

SH6 Kohatu, south of Kohatu Bridge

Work to rebuild a one kilometre stretch of SH6 from the end of the Kohatu Bridge towards Mead Bridge continues. Other recovery work to fix damage to the existing stopbanks and river protection structures caused during the June/July floods is also being completed. Work is carried out on weekdays (Monday - Friday), from 7am to 5pm, under stop/go traffic management. Expect 15 minute delays when passing through this work site. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit applies 24/7.

Read our traffic bulletin for more information.

SH6 Clark River area, Motupiko

Chipsealing will be carried out from Tuesday 11 to Thursday 13 November from 7am until 5pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect minor delays during work hours. A 50km/h temporary speed limit will apply outside work hours and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

SH6 Lamb Valley

Crews will remove a container from the Hope River on Tuesday 11 November, between 7am and 5pm. Stop/go traffic management will be in place with a 30 km/h speed limit. Please allow extra time for possible delays.

SH6 Glenhope

Chipsealing will be carried out from Tuesday 11 to Thursday 13 November from 7am until 5pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect minor delays during work hours. A 50km/h temporary speed limit will apply outside work hours and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

SH6 near Owen Valley East Road

Chipsealing will be carried out from  Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 November from 7am until 5pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect minor delays during work hours. A 50km/h temporary speed limit will apply outside work hours and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

SH6 Coal Creek, south of Owen River Bridge

Repairs to the road and the road shoulder continue at this site following damage from the wet weather in late October. Stop/go traffic lights and a 30km/h temporary speed limit is in place 24/7. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH6 Coal Creek, 5 November 2025

SH6 Claybank

Chipsealing will be carried out from Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 November from 7am until 5pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect minor delays during work hours. A 50km/h temporary speed limit will apply outside work hours and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

SH6 Mangles Valley Road to Matakitaki Bridge

Chipsealing will be carried out from Friday 14 November to Tuesday 18 November from 7am until 5pm (no work on Saturday 15 or Sunday 16 November). Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect minor delays during work hours. A 50km/h temporary speed limit will apply outside work hours and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

SH6 rockfall resilience work at Granity Narrows and O'Sullivan's Junction

Rockfall resilience work continues at two sites near Murchison - one at the Granity Narrows between Kawatiri and Owen Junction, and the other near O’Sullivan’s Junction close to the intersection of State Highways 6 and 65. Stop/Go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit is in place at both sites 24/7 until the end of May 2026. Plan ahead for 15 minute delays. At times, traffic will be held in both directions when controlled rock clearing is underway. The road will be open to two lanes over the Christmas / New Year holiday period.

Read our media release for more information.

SH65 Murchison to Springs Junction

SH65 Shenandoah

Chipsealing will be carried out on Friday 14, Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 November from 7am until 5pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH60 Nelson to Golden Bay

SH60 Tākaka Hill, Riwaka side, approx. 4 km uphill from Riwaka Valley Road

We’re continuing recovery on a number of sites on the hill. Stop/go traffic lights and a 30km/h temporary speed limit remains in place at all times. Please plan ahead for delays of up to 20 minutes when you're travelling over Tākaka Hill.

Upcoming closure - State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill 

Daytime closures on SH60 Tākaka Hill will commence on Monday 24 November through to Friday 28 November, between 9am and 3:30pm. During this time, the road will reopen once at 11:30am to let traffic through.

Chipsealing work must be carried out during warm and dry conditions to be effective. The recent wet weather and cooler temperatures have meant that this work must be delayed by a few weeks until more settled weather arrives.

Once the daytime chipsealing work is complete, night closures will follow when asphalting and general maintenance work will be carried out. Night closures will be in place from Sunday, 30 November to Friday, 19 December  between 8pm and 5:30am (Sunday to Thursday nights). There will be one opening every night for traffic queued on each side of the hill. Traffic must be queued traffic at the Aaron Creek Road closure point by 12:30am or at the Riwaka Valley Road closure point by 1am.

This work completed each year to ensure the highway’s road surface is maintained and kept in a good state of repair. The intention is to complete the work, along with ongoing storm recovery repairs to allow the road to reopen to two lanes, before the busy summer holidays period.

Read our traffic bulletin for more information.

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 Nelson/Tasman state highway maintenance programme, contact us at Nelson-Tasmanmaintenance@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/sh-maintenance-programme/nelson-tasman

For information on Marlborough, West Coast or Canterbury state highway maintenance,  where you can sign up for newsletters that cover other regions.