West Coast and Alpine Passes state highway planned roadworks

Tuesday 27 January to Monday 2 February 2026

26 January 2026

Kia ora,

Welcome to the latest West Coast state highway planned roadworks update.

To stay updated on road conditions before you travel visit Journey planner

Below is current at 3pm on Monday 26 January.

SH6 Upper and Lower Buller Gorge

No major works scheduled this week

SH6 Westport to Greymouth

SH6 Four Mile River: Resealing will take place south of the river on 27 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected. The temporary speed limit will be in place 24 hours.

SH6 Canoe Creek: Resealing will take place on 28 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected. The temporary speed limit will be in place 24 hours.

SH6 Barrytown to Greymouth: Night works to spray line markings will take place from 27 to 29 January. Stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH6 Canoe Creek: Resealing will take place on 28 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected. The temporary speed limit will be in place 24 hours.

SH6 Runanga: Work on the watermain will take place from 27 to 30 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to five minutes expected.

SH6 Greymouth to Franz Josef

SH6 Saltwater Creek: Guardrail repairs will take place south of Paroa School at Saltwater Creek from 27 to 30 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to five minutes expected.

SH6 Hokitika: Crews wil be leveling service lids on the state highway from just north of Tudor Street to south of Stafford Street. from 27 January to 2 February. Expect stop/go traffic management, 30km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to five minutes. 

SH6 Kakapotahi: Resealing work will take place on 29 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected.

SH6 Whataroa: Resealing work will take place on 27 and 28 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected.

SH6 Franz Josef: Resurfacing work will take place from 28 to 30 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 10 minutes expected.

SH6 Waikukupa: Resealing work will take place on 29 and 30 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected.

SH6 Franz Josef to Haast Pass

SH6 Fox Glacier: The highway shoulder will be closed while crews work on water connections. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place.

SH6 Karangarua and Bruce Bay to Paringa: Vegetation clearing by Electronet is underway. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 5 minutes expected.

SH6 Pleasant Flat: Road stabilising and repairs are underway on weekdays until 2 February. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place, with delays of up to 10 minutes expected.

SH7 Lewis Pass Waipara to Greymouth

SH7 Rahu Saddle: Road Stabilisation will take place on 27 and 28 January, followed by further repairs on 30 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays between 10 and 20 minutes expected.

SH7 Springs Junction to Reefton: Resealing will take place at Waterfall Corner on 29 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected.

SH7 Reefton to Maimai: The road will be fully closed for 48 hours from 8am on 25 January to 8am on 27 January for an essential culvert replacement.  A long detour will be in place. See our Traffic Bulletin for more information. 

SH7 Ikamatua to Greymouth: Night works to spray line markings will take place from 29 January to 1 February. Stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes. Daytime works will also take place, with delays of up to 5 minutes expected.

SH7 Ngahere: Road repairs will take place on 30 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 10 minutes expected.

SH73 Porters and Arthurs Pass

SH73 Arthurs Pass Village: Resealing work will take place on 27 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected.

SH73 Otira: Washout repairs are underway weekdays from 27 January to 2 February with stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit in place. Expect short delays.

SH73 Rocky Point: Retaining wall work will take place near Jacksons from 28 to 30 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to five minutes expected.

SH73 Turiwhate: Road repairs and sealing will take place on 28 and 29 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected. 

SH73 Kumara: Crews will be installing driveways on weekdays from 27-30 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 5 minutes expected.

SH6 Kumara Junction: Resealing work will take place on 20 and 21 January. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected. The temporary speed limit will remain in place overnight.

Other West Coast highways

No significant works scheduled for this week.

SH8 Lindis Pass

No significant works scheduled for this week.

Planning around the weather on the West Coast

The West Coast of the South Island is known for its unpredictable and extreme weather, which makes long-term planning for road maintenance particularly challenging. While our teams monitor forecasts closely, they can only confirm work programmes about a week in advance with any real certainty and even then, plans may need to change at short notice.

Because this newsletter covers a large geographical area, it's important to note that weather conditions can vary significantly from one part of the Coast to another. Sudden changes are common, and they directly impact when and where our crews can operate.

To ensure a high-quality finish, road safety, and long-term resilience, our teams 'chase the good weather', taking advantage of favourable conditions whenever and wherever they occur. This flexible approach allows us to make the most of short weather windows and deliver the best possible outcomes for the network.

More information

For more information on the West Coast state highway maintenance programme, contact us at TheAlpinePassesMaintenance@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/sh-maintenance-programme/west-coast