Canterbury state highway planned roadworks

Tuesday 24 to Monday 30 March 2026

23 March 2026

Kia ora

Welcome to the latest Canterbury state highway planned roadworks update.

As we head into the end of the season, the changing weather begins to have a bigger impact on when and where we can work. Over the coming weeks, our crews will be moving around the network to make the most of suitable weather windows and complete the remaining programmed sites.

We have plenty of nighttime works on our South Canterbury network with road closures and stop/go during March and April. Over dimension loads please continue to notify chctmpsc@ghd.com  or call 03 687 2744 to arrange access through worksites

For updates and real time travel information check Journey Planner before you travel

Information current as at 2.30pm 23 March

SH1 Christchurch to Picton

SH1 Woodend: Milling out and repaving work will take place between Rangiora Woodend Road and Woodend Road on Monday 23 March, from 8pm to 5am. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with delays of up to 10 minutes expected.

SH1 Hapuku: The road rebuild continues between Factory Road and Skevingtons Road until 17 April. Work will take place on weekdays from 6am to 6pm, with some weekends as needed to keep the project moving. Stop/Go traffic management will be controlled manually and by temporary traffic lights, with delays of up to 15 minutes.

SH1 Wharanui: Drainage works to install new subsoil drains will take place from 23 to 27 March, between 6am and 7pm. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Expect delays of up to five minutes.

SH1 north of Spring Creek: Work to rebuild a one kilometre section of highway is due to be finished by the end of this week. Crews completed chipsealing this week. Next week, the site will be swept and line marked. Both lanes are open but a 30km/h reduced temporary speed limit through the site remains in place until this project is complete.

SH1 Christchurch to Dunedin

Please check below for information on several nighttime work sites with detours in South Canterbury - particularly Timaru.

The Rolleston Access Improvements Project work continues with another big weekend at the SH1 Dunns Crossing intersection and work continuing at the Weedons Interchange.

SH1 Rolleston at Weedons Interchange: Night works to rebuild the road and install new light poles, traffic loops, and lay asphalt will take place from 15 March for about three weeks, between 7pm and 6am each night. (no work on Friday or Saturday nights)  The SH1 southbound off-ramp and on-ramp will be closed during this time, with local detours in place. See more information here

SH1 Walkers Road/Dunns Crossing intersection: Work continues to build connections between the highway and the new roundabout approaches. Stop/go traffic management with temporary lights will be in place from 27 to 30 March. Stop/go will operate overnight on Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 10am, and on Sunday from 7pm to 6am. During the day, two lanes will be open on a temporary surface with a 30 km/h speed limit from 11am to 7pm. The road will reopen fully on Monday morning. Expect delays and allow extra time for your journey. See more information here

Walkers Road closure: From 20 March, the SH1 end of Walkers Road will be closed for about three months to install a new rail level crossing and build the realigned Walkers Road and Runners Road. Access to Runners Road and Rolleston Prison will be available via Two Chain Road, and pedestrian access will be maintained.

Dunns Crossing Road reminder: Dunns Crossing Road remains closed at SH1 while a new connection is built. Once completed, the current connection will permanently close and become a cul de sac.

SH1 Timaru, between Grants Road at the showgrounds. Work on the Taitarakihi culvert and road repairs runs weekdays between 7am and 7pm. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit is in place. Expect congestion on SH1 and disruption to nearby side streets.

SH1 Waimate Highway at Morven: Stock underpass construction is underway with narrow lanes and a 30 km/h speed restriction. Until 10 April the site will operate under temporary traffic lights. Delays of up to 10 minutes are expected.

SH1 Bushey, north of Palmerston: The road rebuild work continues until 31 March. Expect delays of about five minutes.

SH1 Chertsey Rail Crossing

SH1 Chertsey Level Rail Crossing: The rail crossing will be closed for asphalting 7-10 April (three nights) between 9pm and 6am. See detour map below.

Night closures in Timaru end of March and into April

The sprint to the end of the season continues with a series of closures at night to complete rebuilds on three sites in Timaru. Detours are in place for all of these works. Information and maps below.

SH78/Sefton Street East /Port Loop Road 25-29 March

SH78: The road will be closed for milling and asphalting work from 25 to 29 March, between 9pm and 6am each night. HPMVs are advised to use Craigie Avenue, King Street, and Heaton and Hayes Streets to avoid delays. See detour map below.

SH1 Craigie Avenue between North and Catherine Streets 30 March

SH1 Craigie Avenue: The southbound lane will be closed overnight on 30 March from 9pm to 6am for milling and asphalting work. See detour map below.

SH1 Theodosia Street between Elizabeth and North Streets 10-16 April (not Saturday night)

SH1: The southbound lanes will be closed at night from 10 to 16 April (no work on Saturday night) for road rebuilding work, between 9pm and 6am each night. See detour map below.

Key state highways across the Canterbury Region

SH7 School Creek Bridge, Culverden: Chip sealing will take place on 26 March, with a local road closure at the Lyndon Street and SH7 intersection. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 10 minutes expected.

SH7A Hanmer Springs Road: Two chip sealing sites will be active from 25 to 28 March. One is a 200 m stretch east and west of Medway Road, and the other is a 1 km section from the Welcome sign to just before the Argelins Road intersection near Hanmer Springs. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 20 minutes expected.

SH8 Albury to Fairlie: Resurfacing work will take place on 30 and 31 March. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 15 minutes expected.

SH75 Halswell Road: The section between Augustine Drive/Monsaraz Boulevard and Curletts Road is closed nightly from Sunday 22 March between 8pm and 6am for about a week for final surfacing and line marking. Side streets in this area, will also be closed at their intersections with Halswell Road. See the work notice here.There will be no vehicle access in or out of this section during these times. Detours will be signposted via Hoon Hay Road and Sparks Road. This work is weather dependent and may be extended at short notice. 

SH77 Methven Highway between Thompsons Track and Springfield Road: Power pole removal to underground power  is taking place until 27 March. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 10 minutes expected.

SH79 Upper Orari Bridge: Resurfacing work will take place on Friday 27 March under stop/go traffic management with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit. The bridge will be closed on Saturday 28 March from 6am to 6pm, with a local road detour via SH79, SH1 Rangitata to Orari, and Orari Station Road to Geraldine. Expect this detour to add an additional 20 minutes to travel time.

SH79 Kakahu: Road reconstruction continues from Hall Road to Howe Road until 31 March. Temporary traffic lights will manage traffic with a 30 km/h speed limit in place, including when the site is unattended. Expect delays of up to 15 minutes.

SH79 Geraldine Fairlie Highway near Maxwell Road: Road reconstruction will continue until 27 March. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit and delays of up to 10 minutes expected.

SH82 Hakataramea Highway (Waimate to Ikawai): Pavement and surfacing repairs will continue until 30 April. The sites will operate under daytime stop/go with a 30 km/h temporary speed limit. This work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled at short notice. Some sites may be unattended, with temporary speed limits in place. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

SH82 Waihao North River Bridge: Work to replace the bridge continues. A single-lane temporary bridge has been installed next to the existing bridge, with temporary traffic lights and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit in place.

SH82 Elephant Hill Stream Bridge: This bridge is being replaced. A temporary bridge has been installed at this site and a 30km/h speed limit will be in place. See more information on both SH82 bridge replacements here

More information

Please be aware that there may be other less disruptive state highway works not listed in this newsletter. Work is often weather dependant and can be postponed and rescheduled.

Check for traffic updates on Journey Planner

For more information on the Canterbury state highway maintenance programme, contact us at Canterburymaintenance@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our Canterbury State Highway Maintenance website 

For information on West Coast and Alpine Passes state highway maintenance, visit our website where you can sign up for the West Coast and Alpine Passes newsletter