Over 200km of road throughout Marlborough has reopened for public access this week after being severely damaged during recent storm events.

Ronga Road through to the last 3km of the Croisilles-French Pass Road, Elaine Bay Road and the Okiwi Bay township roads all reopened to public access today. This follows the opening of the full length of Awatere Valley Road on Tuesday 4 October.

Marlborough Roads Manager, Steve Murrin, says the reopening of 213km of road across the province is a huge milestone in the recovery effort and it’s fantastic to restore access before the start of the busy tourist and farming seasons.

“Our roading crews have put in a huge effort to reinstate access to the French Pass area after the damage that occurred during the August 2022 storm event,” Mr Murrin said.

Awatere Valley Road, which has had its access restricted since the July 2021 weather event, opened on Tuesday.

“With Molesworth’s Acheron Road opening on 1 October for the summer season, it’s great that we’ve been able to restore access from the Marlborough side.”

“While these roads have reopened, we ask drivers to continue to travel with caution and remind people to expect delays. In the French Pass area there are nine sets of traffic lights and many other sections with priority giveways. Drivers should check for signs of debris at the Limestone slip on Awatere Valley Road and avoid stopping when passing the slip,” Mr Murrin said.

Public access on Queen Charlotte Drive also continues to increase, with access extended to between Havelock and Momorangi Bay.

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