State Highway summer maintenance will hit top gear on State Highway 6 between Hira and Rai Valley in December.
Planned road rebuilds for the Whangamoa Saddle will wrap up in December. The work is part of the $147 million 2024/27 National Land Transport Programme investment in state highways across the top of the South Island.
Contractors will be onsite near Graham Stream for two weeks from Monday 2 December, with work to be completed by Friday 13 December, ahead of the busy holiday period.
Rob Service, System Manager Nelson-Tasman, says it is a critical part of this summer’s road maintenance work.
“As we’ve seen on this route in 2022 and on the West Coast recently, bad weather can strike at any time. The more we can do to repair and maintain our highways, the stronger they’ll be when weather events occur.”
State Highway 6 is a vital link between Blenheim and Nelson. The planned road rebuild will improve the route's resilience, make it safer, and reduce the maintenance it will need in the future," Mr Service says.
As part of the work, contractors will remove the existing road surface before building it back up and re-laying a new material with added cement to create a more resilient and long-lasting pavement.
The work will be done during the day from Monday to Saturday under stop/go traffic controls. Drivers will need to factor in around 10-minute delays through this site.
Mr Service says temporary speed limits will be in place 24/7 while the repairs are underway, and he warns drivers must factor this, as well as delays from other roadworks sites on the route, into their travel plans.
We have a lot of work underway on State Highway 6 at the moment. There is this work on the Whangamoa Saddle, resilience improvements on the Rai Saddle, and road reconstruction work at Canvastown.”
“If you are driving between Nelson and Blenheim, please allow an extra 45 minutes for your journey. This is especially important for people with medical appointments in Nelson or Blenheim or those with Picton ferry connections,” Mr Service says.
He appreciates roadworks and the associated delays they cause can be frustrating for drivers.
“The investments we are making in repairs and maintenance do pay off. The better maintained roads are, the fewer problems they have. That’s a win for all road users.”
“We are also doing as much work as possible on the network before Christmas. We know how important the busy summer period is to the community,” Mr Service says.
Contractors will return to State Highway 6 Whangamoa Saddle in February next year to carry out annual summer maintenance work under a night closure. More details on this work will be shared before Christmas.
Works schedule
Summer maintenance season - Tips and advice:
