Nelson/Tasman state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 15 November to Friday 21 November

14 November 2025

Crews working high above SH6 at O'Sullivans Junction

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 10:15am on 14/11/2025.

SH6 Nelson to Blenheim

SH6 Whangamoa Saddle night closures 9-28 November

Night closures continue on SH6 Whangamoa Saddle, between Rai Valley and Hira on Sunday to Thursday nights from 8pm to 5:30am for resurfacing and maintenance work.

We'll reopen the road once a night to let traffic through. If you want to travel overnight you’ll need to be at the closure points (the weighbridge in Hira, and on the Rai Valley straight at Rai Engineering & Mechanical), by 12:30am. Please plan carefully to ensure you meet this schedule.

If you want to travel between Blenheim and Nelson while the closure is in place you can detour via State Highway 63 and St Arnaud. This will add an extra 45 minutes to travel times. Work is scheduled to be completed by 5:30am on Friday 28 November.

Read our traffic bulletin for more information.

Outside of the closure times, resilience work is continuing between Rai Valley and Hira. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h reduced speed limit is in place 24/7. There are five sites to complete as part of this project, but only one site is being worked on at a time to minimise disruption. Plan ahead for delays of up to 10 minutes when travelling between Nelson and Blenheim while this work is underway.

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

SH6 Canvastown

Pre-seal works will be underway from Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 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 17 to Wednesday 19 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

Crews continue to carry out rock scaling and vegetation removal, and will remove old netting and install new mesh on the cliff face. Work is underway on Sunday to Thursday nights from 8pm to 5:30am until Friday 21 November. Stop/go traffic lights and a 30 km/h speed limit is in place during work hours. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes. At times, traffic will be stopped in both directions for short periods while crews install the new mesh.

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.

Wet weather and cooler temperatures have impacted our chipsealing programme, so some sites that were scheduled to be completed this week have been extended until Tuesday 18 November.

SH6 Spooners Saddle, near Doctor's Creek Bridge

Chipsealing originally scheduled for completion on Wednesday 12 November will continue at this site until Tuesday 18 November from 7am until 5pm (no work on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November). Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect minor delays during work hours. Outside work hours, a 50km/h temporary speed limit will apply until sweeping and line marking are complete.

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 Clark River area, Motupiko

Chipsealing originally scheduled for completion on Thursday 13 November will continue at this site until Tuesday 18 November from 7am until 5pm (no work on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November). 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 and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

SH6 Glenhope

Chipsealing originally scheduled for completion on Thursday 13 November will continue at this site until Tuesday 18 November from 7am until 5pm (no work on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November). 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 and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

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 Mangles Valley Road to Matakitaki Bridge

Chipsealing that's currently underway will continue until Tuesday 18 November from 7am until 5pm (no work over the weekend). 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 and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

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 High Street, Motueka - Stage 2 works

Resurfacing works on High Street will take place from Monday 17 to Friday 28 November. Work hours are 9:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. The southbound lane will close between Fearon Street and Greenwood Street, and between Whakarewa Street and Old Wharf Road. Southbound drivers heading towards Māpua must detour via Staples Street, Thorp Street and Old Wharf Road. High Street will remain open northbound towards Riwaka. A 30 km/h speed limit will apply during work hours. Outside work hours, both lanes will be open. A 50 km/h limit will remain until sweeping and line marking are complete.

See our traffic bulletin for more information.

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.

Upcoming closure - State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill 

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.

SH65 Murchison to Springs Junction

SH65 Shenandoah

Chipsealing that's currently underway will continue until Tuesday 18 November from 7am until 5pm (with no work in the weekend). 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 and until sweeping and line marking are complete.

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

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