Roading & Rail

Works to fix slips and road damage around Haast Pass will enable traffic management will move to a stop/go system from Monday.

State Highway 6 across the West Coast and the Haast Pass highway is opening fully to traffic this weekend, in time for the Haast Whitebait Festival.

State Highway 6 connecting Central Otago and the West Coast has reopened to traffic, with heavy vehicles including buses allowed today, although travellers will need to join an escorted convoy.

Foresty slash was swept into upper Queenstown during the biggest downpour in 24 years, which prompted the declaration of a state of emergency.

Eighteen roading projects across the West Coast will receive more than $22m in government investment from the $419m Transport Resilience Fund.

The government is providing $12m to improve roads around the weather-damaged Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough regions.

State Highway 25 between Thames and Coromandel has reopened to traffic with two lanes operational 24/7.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has committed to March 2024 for the completion and reopening of SH25A in Coromandel.

All state highways around Tairāwhiti, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay have been reopened with the successful completion of the Hikuwai bailey bridge.

A new bridge on a Taranaki stretch of the Forgotten World Highway could help boost tourism and economic activity in the area by up to $45m, says the government.

Construction on the new bridge reconnecting State Highway 25A with the Coromandel peninsula is set to start in the next fortnight.

A $1bn cyclone funding recovery package will help rebuild crucial road and rail links wiped out by summer’s extreme weather, as well as install some future flood protection measures.

A crucial transport link between Wairoa and Napier is now open, three months after it was damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The government has earmarked immediate funding of an estimated $30m-$40m for the construction of a new bridge along the Coromandel’s SH25A.

State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier is on track for reopening this weekend.

The government is funding $29m for Tairāwhiti local roads, about 60% of the estimated $50m to clean up the region following the summer’s extreme weather, according to Gisborne District Council.

A report on New Zealand’s transport funding trends has found that the share of investment in road maintenance has reached its lowest in 10 years, according to Local Government New Zealand.

Construction has started on an $82m project that will see significant safety improvements made to State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block in Taranaki.

State Highway 5 between Taupō and Napier will reopen to all traffic on Monday after weeks of repairs after the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle in February.

Six flood and cyclone-hit areas will get a boost with new Bailey bridges that will reconnect isolated communities.

Travellers between Auckland and Northland are advised to check the status of roads before heading out as key highways remain closed.

Roads to popular Auckland tourist spots in Piha, Muriwai and Karekare remain off limits due to damage from Cyclone Gabrielle.

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency says it has been able to reopen most Southland and Otago highways after clearing snow.

The final closed section of State Highway 6 between Blenheim and Nelson is expected to open at 1pm today, with temporary measures in place including speed restrictions and traffic controls.

Challenging driving conditions could continue all this week across the South Island, warns Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will drop the speed limit on State Highway 73 and 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa in early September.

The closure begins at Hollyford Road and will remain in place all day Monday 18 July.

Significant progress” is being made on restoring 460km of Marlborough’s road network following floods that affected the region last year.

KiwiRail and Auckland Transport have named the three new stations to be built along the South Auckland rail network between Papakura and Pukekohe.

Budget 2022 has allocated $661.5m for rail, including $312.3m to restore the national rail network and $349.2m to continue KiwiRail’s fleet modernisation.

Glenbrook Vintage Railway will bring the second of its seven steam locomotives back online in the next month.

Access to Kenepuru Road between the Water Tank slip and Sandy Bay in the Marlborough Sounds will open to restricted public access from Friday 11 March.

Wellington’s iconic Cable Car is celebrating its 120 years today with a limited-edition chocolate bar and 120 hidden golden tickets offering a free ride.

A new pay deal that increases hourly pay rates and allowances for workers at KiwiRail has been approved.

Domestic passengers flying into Auckland Airport from 15 December will be able to use a $160m new road system.

KiwiRail says the resignation was in response to reports about his leadership style – allegations Miller denies.

The operator’s scenic rail and Interislander services could be affected in the run-up to summer.

As part of the larger project to upgrade State Highway 20B near Auckland Airport, mass transit bus lanes will shortly be completed at the George Bolt entrance to the facility, increasing the speed and frequency of access possible.

The coroner’s report into the 2018 crash that killed 11-year-old Hannah Francis may prompt stricter safety standards.

And it says it will help set up an industry-led group to advise on cutting aviation emissions.

Police will be checking that vehicles, including those used for passenger services, are operating safely around ski fields across the country during the October school holidays.

Scenic train services are reduced to the bare minimum to soften the financial impact from the reduction in tourists.

But it doesn’t expect to get near its pre-Covid tourism revenue until FY24.

The road between Te Anau and Milford Sound/Piopiotahi is closed due to ongoing high avalanche risk.

Revenue fell at all of the SOE’s scenic train services in a “difficult environment for tourism operators,” says CEO Greg Miller.

Transport unions are asking whether the fuel type for the new inter-island ferries can be switched to a more environmentally-friendly option.

KiwiRail, CentrePort and Port Marlborough are seeking a single design partner for the delivery of two new ferry terminals.

A retired pesticide business owner in Taumarunui has seen success with a new rail tour venture launched in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has issued permanent reduced speed limits across a 19km stretch from the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound.

A slew of new products has set up the railway for growth, with local businesses on board for the economic ride.