Minister thanks SH6 repair crew for rapid reopening

State Highway 6 between Blenheim and Nelson reopened last night just in time for Christmas after a massive effort from Waka Kotahi and their team, Associate Minister of Transport Kieran McAnulty said.

“It’s been a big job to fix the five major sites that were damaged in the August weather event in just seven weeks,” Kieran McAnulty said.

“I was able to visit the site earlier this month to check in on progress and seeing the repairs in person made it even clearer to me how major the damage had been, with whole sections of the road having to be rebuilt from the foundations up.

“On top of the repair work Waka Kotahi has also used the time the road was closed to increase the resilience of the route. Over 30 new culverts were installed, along with new erosion protection measures.

“To get that done in the timeframe available speaks to the skill and dedication of the crews involved. Thank you to the 120 contractors who have been working on the site through all hours and weather to keep things on track to reopen the road on time.

“Having this route reopened will make a big difference to the Marlborough and Nelson communities and businesses as they gear up for their busiest tourism month in January.

“I want to acknowledge the disruption the community has faced with the road closure. We really appreciate your patience as Waka Kotahi have undertaken this job within an incredibly quick time frame to get the road reopened in time for Christmas.

“Central government agencies alongside the Mayors and councils have worked hard to make sure people in the affected communities have had access to school, healthcare and other support. That work was crucial to make sure residents and businesses were supported while this essential work was carried out.

“With this link restored, residents, businesses, and road users can look forward to better times ahead after a very challenging year.”