Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Three weeks of daytime road closures are on the cards for State Highway 6 at Spooners Saddle.
Daytime road closures and a local road detour will be in place on weekdays, 7:30 am to 5 pm from Monday, 22 September to Friday, 10 October. The highway will be fully open outside these hours
Rob Service, System Manager Nelson/Tasman, says the closure is required so that plantation trees blown down in the recent storm can be removed by the forestry owner – OneFortyOne NZ Limited.
“This is important work that the forestry owners need to do. Removing the windfallen trees also helps reduce risk to the highway should there be more bad weather.”
Treefalls on SH6 at Spooners Saddle, July 2025.
A local road detour will be available via Wai-iti Valley Road, Stock Road, Valley Road, and North Road.
Mr Service warns it will add to travel times.
“Drivers can expect the closure and detour to add up to ten minutes to travel times. So, anyone travelling south from Nelson to Murchison and the West Coast must factor this in.”
“We appreciate that delays can be frustrating. However, after the July floods, there still remains a lot of clean-up work to do across the region, and this will continue to affect state highways. Please be patient on the roads as work continues,” Mr Service says.
Drivers must take extra care on the detour route. Local roads suffered significant damage during the recent floods. It is essential road users drive to the conditions and obey all speed limits and traffic management in place.
Contractors will also make the most of the closure to continue post-flood repairs on State Highway 6 between Belgrove and Kohatu. This will include clearing drains and culverts, as well as repairing slip catch fences on Spooners Saddle.
Works schedule and detour route
- Monday, 22 September to Friday,10 October. Weekdays, 7:30 am to 5 pm.
- SH6 CLOSED between 7:30 am and 5 pm. Outside these hours, SH6 will be fully open to all traffic.
- Local road detour via Wai-iti Valley Road, Stock Road, Valley Road, and North Road. This will add 10 minutes to travel times.
