Nelson/Tasman state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 22 November to Friday 28 November

21 November 2025

Night-time resurfacing work on SH6 Whangamoa Saddle

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. 

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 3pm on 21/11/2025.

SH6 Nelson to Blenheim

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle night closures are complete. Read our media release here

SH6 Rai Valley to Hira:

Resilience work is continuing, with stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit in place 24/7. Crews are working on one site at a time across five locations to reduce disruption. Please plan for delays of up to 10 minutes when travelling between Nelson and Blenheim.

See our traffic bulletin about the resilience works for more information.

SH6 Canvastown

Pre-seal works will be underway on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 November, 6.30am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management will be in place. Expect delays of up to 5 minutes.

SH6 Okaramio

Pre-seal works will be underway from Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 November, between 6.30am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management will be in place. Expect delays of up to 5 minutes.

SH6 Nelson to Greymouth

SH6 Rocks Road, Richardson Street to Magazine Point

Rock scaling and vegetation removal have been completed on the southern cliff section near Tāhunanui Beach. From 21 November through to March 2026, safety barriers will be in place while new mesh netting is installed. These barriers should not affect road users.

Read our media release for more information.

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 Foxhill, near the Leigh Road intersection

Pavement repair work will take place from Monday 24 to Friday 28 November, between 8 am and 4 pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place during work hours. A 50 km/h temporary speed limit will remain outside these hours. Please allow extra time for your journey

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 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 Dellows Bluff

Slip face resilience works will take place from Monday 24 November onwards between 7am to 7pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place during work hours. A 50km/h temporary speed limit will apply outside work hours. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes. 

SH6 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 may be operating and reduced temporary speed limits are likely to be in place at both sites 24/7 until the end of May 2026. At times, traffic will be held in both directions when controlled rock clearing is underway. Plan ahead for delays of up to 15 minutes. The road will be open to two lanes over the Christmas / New Year holiday period.

Read our media release for more information.

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.

State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill closures 24-28 November

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 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 at the Aaron Creek Road closure point by 12:30am or at the Riwaka Valley Road closure point by 1am.

This work is 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.

Have your say on a proposed Intersection Speed Zone at Brightwater

We’d like to hear from you on a proposed Intersection Speed Zone at the intersection of State Highway 6 and Ellis Street/River Terrace Road, near Brightwater. This consultation ends next week so if you haven't already, get your feedback in by 24 November 2025.

Intersection Speed Zones are used to improve the safety at rural intersections along high-speed roads.

They detect when a vehicle is approaching the intersection to either turn into or out of the side road, activating the electronic variable speed limit sign to temporarily show a lower legal speed limit on the highway.  

This makes it easier and safer for people to pull into or out of a side road across a high-speed rural road.

Complete the online form to submit your feedback.  

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.