Drivers travelling through Marlborough can expect to see road rebuild work underway on State Highway 1 and State Highway 63 early next month.

Both works are part of the ongoing NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) state highway summer maintenance programme, which will be underway from spring until autumn next year.

State Highway 63 Wairau Valley East

Work to rebuild a 1.3km section of the State Highway 63, on the Renwick side of the Wairau Valley township, begins Monday, 6 October. 

Weather permitting, this work is expected to take ten weeks to complete.

Contractors will remove the top layer of the road, lay new gravel, and then apply a new chipseal road surface. This will provide a more stable and improved road surface that will require less maintenance and repairs in the future.

Stop/Go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place. Drivers should plan ahead for delays of up to ten minutes at this site during work hours.

School buses and emergency services will be prioritised through the worksite.

• Work schedule:
  • Monday, 6 October to Friday, 12 December. Mondays to Saturdays (no work on Sundays), 7am – 6pm
  • Stop/Go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit
  • 30km/h temporary speed limit applies outside of work hours

SH1 Tar Barrell, south of Ward

A road rebuild is also planned for a 600m stretch of State Highway 1, south of Ward.

It is scheduled to begin on Monday, 6 October, with work expected to take around three weeks to complete, weather permitting.

This rebuild will be completed under stop/go traffic management and a 30 km/h temporary speed limit. Drivers can expect ten minute delays at this site.

With work also underway on State Highway 1 south of Picton(external link), and at Hawkswood in Canterbury, and drivers travelling between Christchurch and Picton should allow an extra 40 minutes for their journeys during October. This is especially important for drivers with Picton ferry bookings. 

• Work schedule:
  • Monday, 6 October to Friday, 24 October. Mondays to Saturdays (no work on Sundays), 7am – 6pm
  • Stop/Go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit
  • 30km/h temporary speed limit applies outside of work hours

Driver advice

Temporary speed limits will remain in place at both sites outside of work hours. Drivers must follow it as it helps protect the road surface while repairs are underway. It also helps protects vehicles from damage from an unfinished road surface and loose road chip.