State highways
State highways form a nationally strategic purpose in moving people and goods nationwide, connecting our communities and helping to get our products to market.
Kānoa was allocated $300 million for Regional Investment Opportunities (RIO) from the New Zealand Upgrade Programme (NZUP).
New Zealand Upgrade Programme - Waka Kotahi
Regional package - Waka Kotahi
13 state highway projects are being funded through this investment. The state highway projects address key challenges our regions roading networks face. Safety, resilience, accessibility, and connectivity improvements aim to assist regional economic development by boosting tourist activity, providing safer more reliable freight networks and provide better access to education, employment, and essential services.
There are an additional 5 State Highway projects being funded through Kānoa’s Provincial Growth Fund (PGF).
Learn more about the impacts that Kānoa funded state highway projects are having in the regions:
Puketona
The State Highway 10 /11 Puketona Junction construction began in July 2020 and was completed in April 2021. The $12.3 million dollar project was funded through the regional package of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme.
The Puketona Junction is located on the Twin Coast Discovery Route and in the past had a poor safety record due to the high volume of turning traffic accessing the Bay of Islands via this intersection.
The intersection was upgraded to a roundabout. The upgrade will help to reduce the risk of death and serious injury at this intersection. The improved access and connectivity, combined with the safety benefits increases the user experience and reduces disruption for those travelling on the Twin Coast Discovery Route.
Mackenzie Basin
Construction commenced on the Mackenzie Basin pull-over areas project in early 2021 supported by $5 million from the regional package of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme.
Construction on this project was completed in June 2022. Nine locations along State Highway 8, 79 and 80 have benefitted from safety and access improvements. The capacity at existing rest areas has been increased and improved and new rest areas at scenic locations have been installed. Better signage, directional arrows, intersection improvements, road widening and passing opportunities have also been added.
The improvements provide safer access points for visiting drivers and facilities for sharing the road with local drivers, freight and cyclists.
Waka Kotahi worked with iwi, Mackenzie District Council and Te Manahuna Ki Uta/Destination Mackenzie Group on prioritising key areas for improvements. Waka Kotahi has also been working with three Papatipu Rūnanga from Ngāi Tahu and cultural artwork will be installed at two sites of significance; Dog Kennel corner and Burkes Pass later in 2023.
With the improvements to safety and accessibility these state highways are now more accommodating to tourists and local drivers alike so more people can appreciate the Mackenzie Basin’s world renowned expansive alpine and lake vistas.
Cromwell
The State Highway 6/State Highway 8B intersection upgrade was completed in February 2023. The $6 million dollar project was funded through the regional package of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme.
Cromwell is one of the fastest growing areas in Central Otago, attracting more visitors and more people wanting to live and work in the town. This is seeing increasing residential and commercial developments to cater for this demand. All these factors placed greater pressure on the already busy SH6-SH8B intersection - a critical link on the Cromwell to Wanaka and Queenstown highway corridor.
The project involved the design and construction of a new single-lane roundabout to replace the existing intersection. The new roundabout will improve safety at an intersection where serious injury crashes have been on the rise.