Southland
Southland District Council is nearing completion of a key roading project linked to the SH1 Edendale realignment, located 30km north of Invercargill. The original realignment was finished in 2019, aiming to improve safety by diverting highway traffic away from the town and its local school. This has allowed smoother, quicker travel on SH1 between Invercargill and Gore, benefiting both residents and travellers.
The next phase involves transferring the former SH1 section through Edendale to the Southland District Council’s management. A key change with this transfer is a speed limit reduction from 100km/h to 80km/h, covering the stretch from the SH1 realignment intersection to Crescent Road. This change will come into effect on Wednesday, 23 October 2024, aiming to enhance safety for local drivers.
Additionally, there will be temporary closures of Lora Gorge Road. This road will close between the Browns Otapiri and Otapiri Gorge Road intersection to Lora River Road for culvert installations.
The closure is scheduled from 7am on Monday, 21 October 2024, until 6pm on Friday, 25 October 2024, and again from 7am on Monday, 28 October, to 6pm on Friday, 1 November 2024.
No detours will be available during this period, but access for residents to their properties will be maintained within the soft closure areas on either side of the hard closure. The road will reopen immediately if there is an emergency.