Work on resilience improvements for State Highway 6 near Murchison is about to get underway. 

Contractors will resume a road-widening and rockfall project at Granity Narrows next month and will begin repairs at an underslip site on the Hope Saddle in early 2027.

Kesh Keshaboina, Regional Manager Infrastructure Development and Delivery, says it is about improving the safety and resilience of State Highway 6 between Nelson and the West Coast.

“Weather events over the past few years have shown the impact highway closures can have on the community. The more we invest in resilience, the more reliable this critical section of the highway will be. Reducing the risk of slips and rockfalls is essential work, as is repairing underslips.” 

Granity Narrows - Contractors are scheduled to return to Granity Narrows on Monday, 5 October. Work at the site was paused over late autumn and during winter because of bad weather and wet ground conditions.

From October to December, they will resume construction of an embankment below the highway. The embankment will allow the road to be widened and moved further away from the cliff face.

Work at the site will pause over the Christmas and New Year holidays before contractors return to carry out rock protection measures on the rock face above the highway.

Hope Saddle - Work will begin at the Hope Saddle site early in the New Year. Located approximately 20 kilometres east of the Granity Narrows site, the project will repair an existing underslip and address ongoing ground movement beneath the highway.

The work will include construction of a new retaining wall to stabilise the slope and protect the highway. Drainage improvements, barrier work, and reinstatement of the road shoulder and surrounding area will also be completed.