Taranaki state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 13 December to Friday 19 December

12 December 2025

Repairs underway on underslip at SH3 Tongapōrutu

Kia ora,

Road workers are putting in the effort to finish as many sites as possible currently underway before the Christmas break.

We appreciate your patience and support. Please drive carefully through work zones, follow the temporary traffic management, and show respect to the people working hard to improve the roads for all of us.

Thank you, Taranaki, for your understanding and cooperation. It makes a real difference as we work to keep your roads safe and ready for the busy holiday season.

Roadworks this week

State highways with scheduled works this week:

• State Highway 3 (SH3) Awakino to New Plymouth
• State Highway 3A (SH3A)
• State Highway 44 (SH44)

Roadworks may be postponed due to rain or other factors that disrupt the weekly schedule.

Check NZTA Journey Planner for the latest travel information and journey times: journeys.nzta.govt.nz

Information current as at 1pm on 12 December 2025.

State Highway 3 – Awakino to New Plymouth

SH3 Awakino: Stop/go traffic management is in place at all times due to an underslip caused by recent wet weather. A geotechnical assessment is underway to determine a long-term solution.

SH3 Tongapōrutu: Underslip repairs are underway until early January (weather permitting). Stop/go traffic management is in place. Road will be open to 2 lanes of traffic during Christmas/New Year period. Expect delays of 5 to 10 minutes.

SH3 Urenui: A road rebuild is underway until 19 December. Work will take place under stop/go traffic management with delays of 5 to 10 minutes. Work will run between 6am and 7pm, Monday to Saturday.

State Highway 3A

SH3A Inglewood: A road rebuild is underway from Monday to Saturday between 6am and 6pm. Stop/go traffic management is in place, with delays of 10 to 15 minutes. This rebuild is split in 2 parts, with the southern section on track to be completed by 19 December. Due to poor weather, the northern section will now be completed between 6-30 January under the same traffic management.

State Highway 44

SH44 Breakwater Road: New Plymouth District Council is replacing a watermain. This work is expected to finish before Christmas. Stop/go traffic management is in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit. NZTA will complete a road rebuild at this site in 2026.

Major renewal and maintenance works on SH3 between New Plymouth and Piopio to start in January

We’re carrying out road rebuilds on State Highway 3 (SH3) between New Plymouth and Piopio in January and February 2026.

From early January, road workers will rebuild and resurface several sections of SH3 north of New Plymouth. Stop/go traffic controls will be in place to keep everyone moving.

People travelling between New Plymouth and Piopio should expect extra travel time of around 40-60 minutes during this period.

We are currently confirming the details for these rebuilds and will provide an update, including their exact locations, once confirmed.

SH3 at Ahititi will also be closed from 12.01am Friday 16 January to 11.59pm Tuesday 20 January for the Mangapepeke culvert replacements. The backup dates are 23 - 27 January. For more info, visit: nzta.govt.nz/sh3-mangapepeke-culvert-replacement.

More information

Please be aware that there may be other less disruptive state highway works not listed in this newsletter.

Roadworks listed in this newsletter may be postponed due to rain or other factors that disrupt the weekly schedule.

Check the NZTA Journey Planner for the latest travel information and journey times before starting your journey: journeys.nzta.govt.nz.

For more information on the Taranaki state highway maintenance programme, contact us at info@nzta.govt.nz or 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 444 449) or visit our website nzta.govt.nz/taranaki-maintenance.