- Invercargill central streets resurfacing to begin 12th January, expected to finish by March
- NZTA asks drivers to follow detours and support local businesses during works
You may experience delays on Southland state highways due to maintenance, renewal or third-party contractor work can be found here, and these sites are listed below. Please note that many of these are subject to good weather, so dates may change if this is not the case.
ROAD/LANE CLOSURES
SH94 Waimea highway resurfacing – Closure for northbound vehicles
From the 13th – 17th January - (weather permitting) the team will be completing resurfacing on SH94 Waimea Highway between Riversdale and Mandeville. Please note that there will be a northbound detour for light vehicles, and northbound HPMV will be stacked and piloted through the site at regular intervals. Southbound light and heavy vehicles are unaffected. (Contingency dates are 20th – 24th January).
SH6 Dee Street & SH1 Tay Street
Beginning on Sunday 12th, Highways South will be asphalt resurfacing SH6 Dee St and SH1 Tay St in inner city Invercargill. This work will take place between 6pm and 6am each night from Sunday to Thursday. Work is expected to take approximately two weeks. Heavy vehicles use Rockdale Road or Inglewood Road/Tweed St and connect to the heavy vehicle bypass. Light vehicles follow posted detour signs. Roads will be open during the day; some surfaces may be milled so drive with extra caution. This work is subject to weather and other factors, changes will be notified if necessary.
Highways South work with temporary traffic lights or stop/go and temporary speed limits this week:
- SH1 Bluff highway at Awarua for pavement repairs
- SH1 Tay St & SH6 De3e St Invercargill – lane and road closures overnight for resurfacing work (see above for details)
- SH6 Winton-Lorneville highway at Wilsons Crossing Road for pavement repairs
- SH6 north of Bixter Road at the Jollies Hill for pavement renewal
- SH94 Waimea highway near Riversdale for pavement repairs
- SH94 Waimea highway from Mandeville to Riversdale – northbound road closure (see above for details)
- SH94 Te Anau-Mossburn highway at The Key for pavement repairs
- SH94 Te Anau-Mossburn highway near Hillside-Manapouri Road for pavement repairs
Roadmarking
- SH1 – gore urban and Invercargill to Bluff/Bluff urban – Mobile operation, drive with care
- SH1 – centre of the road markings, Atherton to bluff - intermittent stop/go
Third party work and events with traffic management in place this week:
- SH1 Clyde St Invercargill, lane drop for watermain work
- SH1 East Road Invercargill at Mill Road North, stop/go for tree trimming
- SH6 North Road Invercargill at Moore Road, lane shift for trenching
- SH94 Te Anau-Mossburn highway between The Key and Hillside-Manapouri Road, stop/go for tree felling
- SH95 Manapouri-Te Anau highway at Manapouri, stop/go for trenching
Upcoming work/events
- February – SH96 Glencoe, pavement renewal
- February – SH1 Bluff highway at Awarua, pavement renewal
Drive safely, and thanks for your efforts to keep our team safe on the roads.
Ongoing Maintenance and Resurfacing Work
Maintenance and renewal efforts have resumed across Southland. The following projects are scheduled for completion soon, with temporary traffic management in place:
- SH1 Clyde St near Nith St, Bluff highway (various points), and SH6 Great North Road Winton for watercutting
- SH6 Winton-Lorneville highway near Breeze Road and Wilson’s Crossing Road for pavement repairs
- SH94 Waimea Highway between Riversdale and Mandeville from 13th to 17th January, with a detour for northbound light vehicles and piloted stacking for northbound heavy vehicles. Southbound traffic will not be affected.
Upcoming work includes the resurfacing of Invercargill’s central streets, which begins on 12th January and runs until late February or early March 2024. This project, led by Highways South and NZTA, involves resurfacing parts of SH1 and SH6 covering Dee, Tay, and Clyde Streets. It aims to improve road conditions while addressing infrastructure needs, including footpath repairs and water and stormwater upgrades.
The work will be carried out at night from Sunday to Thursday, between 6 pm and 6 am, to minimise daytime disruption. Roads will be closed during working hours but will reopen each morning with temporary speed limits in place. Detours will be clearly marked.
Locals should expect noise during the milling phase, and crews will use about 8,500 tonnes of asphalt—roughly the weight of 120 million cheese rolls. NZTA advises drivers to follow traffic management signs and continue supporting local businesses.
To avoid conflicts with major events, including the Burt Munro Rally (5-8 February), the works will pause temporarily in early February.
The NZTA and Invercargill City Council are working closely with contractors to ensure the project is efficient and causes minimal disruption. "We needed to get this done during summer when the weather is more reliable," a spokesperson said. Each stage is expected to take about 10 weeks, depending on weather conditions.