Critical Road Closures

State Highway 6 – Haast to Wanaka Road Closures September 2026

Due to a large slip in early September, State Highway 6 between Makarora and Lake Hawea has been intermittently closing to allow critical road works to be completed. Travel has been restricted to 3 escorted convoys both South and North during this time.

From 5.30pm Friday 18 September (subject to weather conditions) the road will be open to continuous traffic both ways 24/7 over the weekend until 8am Monday 21 September 2026.

From 8am Monday (21 September 2026), the road will be partially closed again with the convoys operating 3 times a day between 8am and 5.30pm.

Southbound (towards Wanaka) convoys leave at:

7:15am, 12:45pm, and 6:15pm

Northbound (towards Haast) at

8am, 12pm, and 5:30pm.

The road will reopen overnight (between 5.30pm and 8am daily).

These closures may impact travel between the West Coast (Franz Josef, Fox Glacier, Haast etc) and Central Otago (Queenstown, Wanaka etc), please plan accordingly.