UPDATE: 7 April, 2026 – Weather postponement for SH1 Chertsey closures

Planned night closures for State Highway 1/Rakaia Highway in Mid Canterbury have been being pushed out by a day because of expected wet weather.

The night closures for resurfacing of SH1 at the Chertsey rail crossing were due to happen from tonight to Thursday 9 April, from 9pm to 6am each night. These are now rescheduled to take place from tomorrow, Wednesday 8 April, to Friday 10 April, from 9pm to 5.30am each night.

Detours will be available as illustrated in the map below. Midnight openings of SH1/Rakaia Highway will be available for over-dimension vehicles. Road users are encouraged to allow extra time for their travel.

23 March, 2026 – New dates for SH1 Chertsey closures

Road resurfacing that will mean night closures of State Highway 1/Rakaia Highway at the Chertsey rail crossing has been rescheduled following a postponement.

Work that was due to begin last night is now scheduled to take place early next month. SH1/Rakaia Highway at the rail crossing will now be closed 9pm to 6am each day, from Tuesday 7 April through to Thursday 9 April.

Detours will be available as illustrated in the map below. Midnight openings of SH1/Rakaia Highway will be available for over-dimension vehicles. Road users are encouraged to allow extra time for their travel.

We thank people in advance for their patience.

22 March, 2026 – SH1 Chertsey closures postponed

Nightly closures due to start tonight on State Highway 1/Rakaia Highway at the Chertsey rail crossing (highlighted below) have been postponed.

An update will be provided when new dates are confirmed.

13 March, 2026 – Mid-Canterbury roadworks shift to new locations

With a series of roadworks on State Highway 1 in and around Ashburton now complete, work is shifting north, and inland to State Highway 77 where a closure will be in place tomorrow (Saturday 14 March).

SH77/Alford Forest Road, between the intersections with Oak Grove and Cross Street, is due to be closed between 8am and 5pm tomorrow for road resurfacing. A detour will be available via Harrison Street and Oak Grove or Walnut Avenue. People are encouraged to plan their travel accordingly.

Further inland on SH77/Methven Highway, power undergrounding work is underway through until Friday 27 March 2026, which means road users will be required to stop on demand and slow down for a 30km/h temporary speed restriction. At Methven itself, resealing on SH77/Main Street, near Dolma Street, on Thursday 19 March is expected to mean road users having to stop on demand for part of the day.

On Sunday 22 March through to Tuesday 24 March, State Highway 1/Rakaia Highway is expected to close at nights at the Chertsey rail crossing for roadworks. A detour will be in place (see map below) via Somerton Road and Thompsons Track, with midnight openings of SH1 for over-dimension vehicles and permitted freight.

Meanwhile, road construction work continues on State Highway 79/Geraldine-Fairlie Highway at two sites between Geraldine and Fairlie, South Canterbury, where people need to stop on demand and slow for 30km/h temporary speed restrictions on weekdays. This work is due to continue until 27 March and 31 March, respectively.

Resealing on the Upper Orari Bridge on SH79 means a daytime closure is currently planned for Saturday 28 March, with a detour via SH1, and Orari Station Road or Inland Route 72/Winchester-Geraldine Road at Winchester

We thank people for their patience while this work is carried out to benefit all road users. Latest information can be found at our Journey Planner site.

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