Work to bolster the resilience of a key South Island route vital to New Zealand tourism will soon begin, South Island and Associate Transport Minister James Meager says.
“The Government allocated around $40 million in Budget 2026 to fund resilience upgrades to State Highway 94 (SH94) between Te Anau and Milford, as part of a wider $150 million-plus package to strengthen five of the mainland’s most vulnerable state highways,” Mr Meager says.
“There will soon be spades in the ground at key sites on SH94 in Fiordland. This road is the only land access into Milford Sound, which is New Zealand’s top natural tourist attraction and expected to draw close to one million visitors this year.
“Work will start at busy tourist pullover area, Pop’s Corner/View Lookout, where the narrow roadway will be widened and the rock used elsewhere on the highway corridor to protect the road shoulder against scouring from the Eglinton River.
“Further work will follow nearby at Marian Hill, where rock anchors and an underpinning concrete slab will be installed to strengthen an existing retaining wall that supports SH94. Movement over time in this retaining wall has been impacting the highway. Work will begin on an additional six sites on SH94 in due course.
“The funding package will also be used to address ongoing resilience risks to State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill, State Highway 6 Cromwell to Kingston, and State Highway 6 Haast to Hāwea. Risks include rockfall, slips, flooding and washouts that can cut off communities, tourism and freight connections.
“This investment will mean fewer disruptions for communities, greater certainty for businesses, more reliable freight movements, and better access for visitors.
“This is yet another example of the National-led Government’s commitment to fixing the basics and building the future of South Island roads, which has benefitted from a record 42 percent funding increase through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Plan.”