Canterbury state highway maintenance programme

Saturday 4 October to Friday 10 October

3 October 2025

Christchurch to Picton

The information below is current as at 12.30pm on 3 October 2025

You can see that there is a lot going on, so if you're travelling between Christchurch and Picton in October, please allow up to 40 minutes extra travel time due to essential maintenance work on State Highway 1. Check journey planner for latest updates. 

SH1 south of Lineside Road: 8&9 October. 9am-6pm. Pavement investigations work in the southbound lane. Traffic management will be in place at times.

SH1 Pegasus roundabout, just north of Woodend: 6-10 October. 9am-4pm. Pavement investigations. Lane shifts, please follow signs. 

SH1 Hawkswood, 40km south of Kaikōura near the intersection of Claverley Road: 1-16 October. 6am-6pm. Road rebuild. Stop/go. Expect delays of up to 20 minutes.

SH1 south of Ward: 6-24 October
Mondays to Saturdays stop/go 7am-6pm. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit will remain in place 24/7. Delays of up to 10 minutes at this site during work hours.

SH1 Kahutara River to Limrock just south of South Bay Parade: 6-10 October. 6am-6pm. Various chip seal sites. Stop/go with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit.

SH1 Waimanagarara just north of School House Road to just south of Postmans Road: 6-31 October 6am-6pm. Road rebuild. Temporary traffic lights will manage lane closures with stop/go. Expect up to 15 minute delays.

SH1 Harnetts Creek to Waipapa Bay: 6&7 October. Various chip seal sites. Stop/go with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit.

SH1 Riverlands - near the truck stop: 29 September-8 October (no work on Sunday 5 October), 6.30am-6.30pm
Various work including chipsealing, sweeping and line marking and high shoulder removal. Stop/go during work hours. Expect short delays.

SH1 Lindens Crossing (between Picton and Koromiko) 29 September-17 October (no work on weekends). 
24/7 work to rebuild the state highway at Lindens Crossing. Stop/go with delays of up to 10 minutes. Read our media release for more information.

SH1 Riverlands - near the truck stop: 29 September-8 October no work on Sunday 5 October, 6:30am-6:30pm Various work including chipsealing, sweeping and line marking and high shoulder removal. Stop/go.

SH1 Rakaia northbound Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre (CVSC) opens 8 October

Located just north of the Rakaia Bridge off SH1 between Weavers Road and North Rakaia Road, the centre screens heavy vehicles using weigh-in-motion scales and number plate recognition.

If you’re driving a truck and your vehicle is flagged, roadside signage will direct you to pull in. Police will be onsite and may carry out further checks. Failing to stop when signalled could result in a $1000 fine.

An Intersection Speed Zone (ISZ) will also be active on SH1, slowing traffic to 60km/h when vehicles are turning out of Weavers Road.

The southbound CVSC has been operating since 2024.

SH1 Christchurch to Dunedin

SH1 Ashburton: Night works from the north side of the Ashburton Bridge to South Street: 28th September - 9th October.   Asphalt Renewal. Stop/Go and temporary speed limit of 30km/h. 8pm-6am Sunday to Thursday. No work on Friday or Saturday nights. read our traffic bulletin here.

SH1 Ealing, north of Rangitata Bridge: 29 September-31 October: Road reconstruction. Stop/go with delays of up to 30 minutes. Every weekend, Saturday afternoons 3pm-6am Monday mornings and at Labour Weekend two lanes open with 50km/h temporary speed limit. Withells/Ealing Road intersection with SH1 closed.

SH1 Temuka, close to the intersection of Lamont Road SH1: 22 September-10 October. 7am-6pm resealing work.

SH1 Timaru Waimataitai: 9 September-31 October. Watermain renewal. Expect lane shifts and 30km/h temporary speed limit. 7am-6pm.

SH1 Timaru close to the intersection of SH1 and Grants Road: Taitarakihi Culvert 9 September-31 October. Drainage works. Expect lane shifts and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h. 7am-6pm weekdays.

SH1 Studholme, near the intersection of Foleys Road: 2-10 October. Culvert Installation stop/go and temporary speed limit of 30km/h.  8am-5pm weekdays.

Key state highways across the Canterbury Region

SH7 one km north of the Hurunui River: 29 September-6 November Road rebuild work. Stop/go, expect up to 15 minute delays.

SH75 Halswell Road. Dunbars Road to Curletts Road: Major work continues on the improvements project particularly between Augustine Drive/Monsaraz Boulevard and Curletts Road. 30km/h speed limit through the work area.

SH77 between Ashburton Staverley Road and Wakelins Road 29 September for six weeks. 8am-5pm Road rebuild. Stop/go and 30km/h temporary speed limit. Expect delays of up to 15 minutes.

SH85 Meadowbank to Glenpark: 15 September-19 December. Rebuild work across various locations. Expect stop/go between 6am-7pm and temporary speed limits outside those times. 

Chipsealing: Why your driving matters

As road maintenance season gets underway, one of the most common treatments you'll encounter is chipsealing. While it may appear straightforward, chipsealing is a carefully managed process that relies on the right conditions, and the cooperation of road users.
A freshly laid chipseal needs time and care to settle properly. That’s why traffic needs to travel at 30km/h through these sites. This isn’t just a guideline it’s essential. Driving at this speed helps the stone chips compact and lock into place, forming a durable and long-lasting road surface.

Here’s what can go wrong when vehicles don’t follow the temporary speed limit:

• Driving too fast can dislodge loose chips, leaving gaps that weaken the seal.
• Driving too slowly can cause the surface to overheat and stick to tyres, pulling up chips and damaging the seal.

Once the seal has settled, crews sweep away excess chip and apply road markings. Until then, the surface remains vulnerable and requires careful handling.
So next time you’re driving through a chipseal site, please stick to 30km/h. It’s a small action that helps protect the quality and longevity of our roads.

More information

Please be aware that there may be other less disruptive state highway works not listed in this newsletter. Work is often weather dependant and can be postponed and rescheduled.

For more information on the Canterbury state highway maintenance programme, contact us at Canterburymaintenance@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our Canterbury State Highway Maintenance website 

For information on West Coast and Alpine Passes state highway maintenance, visit our website where you can sign up for the West Coast and Alpine Passes newsletter