Manawatū-Whanganui state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 10 January to Friday 16 January

9 January 2026

Kia ora,

Welcome to the latest Manawatū-Whanganui state highway planned roadworks update.

This is our first update back in 2026. Below is this week’s list of upcoming planned works on state highways in the region.

Some of our state highways are busy with traffic this summer, so give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination, and keep up to date with planned works via Journey Planner.  

Upcoming roadworks

State highways with scheduled works this January:

• SH1 north of Taihape
• SH2 Mangatainoka
• SH3 Palmerston North
• SH4 Raetihi
• SH43 Taumarunui
• SH56 Opiki

Before you travel on our state highways, check Journey Planner or Facebook for the latest information.

Dates in this update may change at short notice due to weather or other unforeseen factors, and other less disruptive state highway works may not be listed in this newsletter.

Information current as at 12pm on Friday 9 January 2026.

State Highway 1

SH1 north of Taihape: Road rebuild works are underway near the intersection of Spooners Hill Road. Works are ongoing until Wednesday 28 January, 6am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 25 minutes. Due to higher holiday traffic volumes, road users may experience longer delays than usual at peak travel times. Road workers are monitoring queues. We encourage people to plan ahead and allow extra time, particularly during busy periods. More information. 

State Highway 2

SH2 Mangatainoka: Road rebuild and drainage works are underway at Mangatainoka, near the Ruawhata Road. Works are ongoing until Friday 30 January, 6am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 5 minutes. More information.

SH2 Woodville: Asphalt resurfacing works are planned for Vogel Street, Woodville from Sunday 8 February to Monday 16 March 2026. This work will be completed in 2 phases, under a full night-time closure, 6pm to 6am. Expect changing traffic management, including during the day. More information. 

State Highway 2 - Upcoming road closure for Woodville

Asphalt resurfacing works for SH2 Vogel Street, Woodville, are taking place from Sunday 8 February to Monday 16 March 2026. This work will be completed in 2 phases with changing temporary traffic management and detour routes, including during the day. 

Phase 1:

• From Sunday 8 February to Tuesday 24 February from 6pm to 6am, works will be underway on SH2 between Ross Street and McLean Street.
• During this time, road users (cars and other light vehicles) will detour using Tay Street to Station Street, back to SH2. 
• Traffic management will change during the day. From 6am to 6pm, northbound traffic will travel through the worksite on SH2. All southbound traffic will continue to use the detour.

The detour for all freight and heavy vehicles is: SH3 to Woodlands Road to Oxford Road to Pinfold Road back to SH2. This will be in place 24/7 for 5 weeks for the duration of the works. Temporary traffic lights and a temporary 10km/h speed limit will be in place at the Oxford Road bridge.

Further information about phase 2 will be provided in future updates closer to the time.

Photo: The light vehicle detour route for phase 1 of the SH2 Woodville works.

State Highway 3

SH3 Palmerston North: Night-time asphalt resurfacing will take place at the intersection of SH3 Main Street and Princess Street, in Palmerston North. Works have been rescheduled, now from Thursday 8 January to Saturday 10 January, 6pm to 6am. During these work hours, the intersection will be fully closed. All traffic will be detoured via Church Street to Victoria Avenue and Broadway Avenue. Please follow detour signage. The road will be open outside of work hours. More information.

Nearby, road repairs are planned for Main Street, including the entry and exit to the bus shelter. This is Palmerston North City Council works. More information about PNCC works.

State Highway 4

SH4 Raetihi: Road rebuild and drainage works are underway on Parapara Road, Raetihi, between Seddon Street and Alexandra Road. Works are ongoing to Tuesday 3 February, 6am to 6pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit is in place, with delays of up to 15 minutes. More information.

State Highway 43

SH43, Taumarunui: The Pongahuru Stream Bridge on State Highway 43 (SH43) will be closed to agricultural and heavy vehicles from 14-17 January and 22-25 January, 7am to 6pm. A signposted detour will be in place via SH4, Ohura Road, and Mangaparo Road. This will add about 17 minutes to travel time.

Cars and other light vehicles can still use the bridge on SH43 during these times. Stop/go controls will be in place at the bridge, with delays of up to 5 minutes. More information.

State Highway 56

SH56, Opiki: Resealing works are planned for SH56 at Opiki from Tuesday 20 January to Wednesday 28 January, before school resumes. This is for second-coat seals on the rebuilds completed last season. A daytime road closure will be in place each day from 6am to 6pm, excluding Sundays. The detour is via SH57 or SH1. Plan ahead and allow for extra time. The road will be open outside of these work hours.

All renewals receive a second coat seal the year after they are rebuilt. The first coat is left to settle for about 12 months, and the second coat is then applied to create a thick, more durable and waterproof surface.

Photo: The detour is via SH57 or SH1.

Other works in January-February 2026

A range of resealing road maintenance sites are planned across our state highways this summer. For example, after resealing works are complete on SH1 and SH57, crews plan to move to SH2 south of Norsewood. Please follow temporary traffic management and expect delays at resealing sites.

Further road rebuilds this year are planned for SH1 near Foxton, SH57 near Shannon, and dates and temporary traffic management will be shared once confirmed.

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 Manawatū-Whanganui state highway maintenance programme, contact us at info@nzta.govt.nz or via 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 444 449).

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/manawatu-whanganui-maintenance