Key facts
- Fact 01
NZTA will close SH94 Milford Road in both directions between Homer Tunnel and The Divide car park from 8pm to 5am.
- Fact 02
The road reopens briefly at 10pm on each closure night to let queued traffic through.
- Fact 03
NZTA says no detour is available for the closed section of the Milford Road.
- Fact 04
The closures are for retaining wall strengthening and resiliency works, including work on Homer Tunnel.
NZTA will close State Highway 94, the Milford Road, in both directions between Homer Tunnel and The Divide car park from 8pm to 5am on four nights: Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2026. The last closure ends at 5am on Friday 6 November. NZTA says the road will reopen briefly at 10pm each night to let any queued traffic through the site.
The closures are for retaining wall strengthening and resiliency works, including work on Homer Tunnel. NZTA's record states that no detour is available, so on a closure night there is no way through this section between 8pm and 5am apart from the 10pm opening.
The notice covers night hours only. If you are driving out of Milford Sound in the evening, plan to clear the section between Homer Tunnel and The Divide before 8pm, or be in the queue for the 10pm opening. If you are leaving Te Anau very early for Milford Sound, the section reopens at 5am.
We read NZTA's road event record for this section of SH94 on Monday 2 November 2026, NZ time. NZTA lists the work as scheduled and asks drivers to plan their journey accordingly. Check NZTA's live road information again on the day you travel.
Our Queenstown to Milford Sound planner helps you plan the day, and our Te Anau things to do guide has ideas if you would rather stay in Te Anau for the evening.
Questions visitors are asking
When is the Milford Road closed near Homer Tunnel?
NZTA will close SH94 Milford Road between Homer Tunnel and The Divide car park from 8pm to 5am on the nights of Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2026. The last closure ends at 5am on Friday 6 November, and the road reopens briefly at 10pm each night.
Can I get through to Milford Sound at night during the closures?
Only during the brief opening at 10pm. NZTA says the Milford Road reopens at 10pm on each closure night to let queued traffic through the site between Homer Tunnel and The Divide. Outside that opening the section is closed in both directions from 8pm to 5am, and NZTA says no detour is available.
Why is the Milford Road closing at night?
NZTA says the overnight closures on SH94 between Homer Tunnel and The Divide car park are for retaining wall strengthening and resiliency works, including work on Homer Tunnel. The work runs from 8pm to 5am on the nights of Monday 2 to Thursday 5 November 2026, with a brief opening at 10pm.
Is the Milford Road open during the day this week?
NZTA's notice for SH94 covers only the night hours of 8pm to 5am between Homer Tunnel and The Divide car park, from Monday 2 to Thursday 5 November 2026. Daytime hours are outside this closure, but check NZTA's live road information on the day before you drive to Milford Sound.