As part of the government’s South Island resilience projects, seven "corridors", vulnerable to natural disasters, have been identified - to date, they represent an estimated investment of $182.03 million, with only the 41km stretch of State Highway 6 (SH6), between Arrow Junction and Cromwell yet to have a price tag on it.
The biggest proposed spend is an estimated $102m for a major project focused on the SH6 Epitaph Slip, which connects south Westland to the Queenstown Lakes District.
Another $25.6m is proposed to make the 155km section of SH6 between Hāwea and Haast more resilient, and $22.4m is pegged to be spent over three years to improve the resilience of SH94, between Milford Sound and Te Anau Downs.
Both feeder roads into Queenstown - also on SH6 - have also been identified as requiring major work.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has developed a $9.2m work programme for the 40km-plus section of the highway between Kingston and Queenstown, now used by more than 2700 vehicles a day, however "resilience measures" at the two southernmost sites on that stretch, near Glen Nevis Station and Shoreline Point, will be delivered through alternative NZTA funding sources, so have been split from the resilience project.
"Pre-implementation work" was expected to be finished on that corridor by mid next year, with physical works to follow.
While NZTA said it had finished investigations into the section between Arrow Junction and Cromwell, which carries up to 6000 vehicles a day, costs were to be determined.
The government had provided pre-implementation funding to help ensure projects were ready to seek approval for construction funding in the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), an NZTA spokesman said.
"This is part of the usual process where projects are prioritised against the funding available.
"If additional funding is required above what is available in the... NLTP, additional funding may be sought in the 2027-30 NLTP."
