Key facts
- Fact 01
Crews work from 8am to 5pm on weekdays, with traffic stopped at intervals from both directions.
- Fact 02
NZTA says drivers should expect delays of up to 10 minutes between Cromwell and Queenstown.
- Fact 03
Work pauses on Friday 13 November, ahead of the Queenstown Marathon on Saturday 14 November.
Abseilers and support crews return to Nevis Bluff on State Highway 6 from Monday 2 November to Friday 20 November 2026. They will find and remove unstable or loose rock above the road in the Kawarau Gorge, between Cromwell and Queenstown. We read the Otago Daily Times report of 27 October, and the details below come from it.
The work runs from 8am to 5pm on weekdays. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will stop traffic at intervals from both directions so the crews can work safely, and temporary speed limits will be in place. NZTA Central Otago maintenance contract manager Peter Standring said drivers should expect delays of up to 10 minutes on trips between Cromwell and Queenstown.
There is one break in the programme. Work pauses on Friday 13 November, the day before the Queenstown Marathon on Saturday 14 November.
For visitors, this matters on any weekday drive along SH6 through the gorge, for example a day trip towards Cromwell or a transfer from Wanaka or Central Otago into Queenstown. Weekends and the hours outside 8am to 5pm are not part of the work window, so an early or late drive avoids the stops. If you have a tight booking at the other end, such as a flight or a tour pickup, add 10 minutes to your plan.
Planning a drive between the lakes? Our Queenstown to Wanaka drive guide compares the two routes, and our wine tours without driving guide covers Gibbston visits where someone else does the driving.
Questions visitors are asking
When is the Nevis Bluff rockfall work on SH6?
The work at Nevis Bluff on State Highway 6 in the Kawarau Gorge runs from Monday 2 November to Friday 20 November 2026. Crews work on weekdays from 8am to 5pm, and the work pauses on Friday 13 November, the day before the Queenstown Marathon.
How long are the delays between Cromwell and Queenstown?
NZTA says drivers should expect delays of up to 10 minutes on trips between Cromwell and Queenstown while the Nevis Bluff work is under way. Traffic is stopped at intervals from both directions and temporary speed limits apply, on weekdays between 8am and 5pm, from 2 to 20 November.
Is SH6 through the Kawarau Gorge closed?
No full closure was reported. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will stop traffic at intervals from both directions so crews can remove loose rock at Nevis Bluff, then let it through again. Expect stop and go traffic, temporary speed limits and waits of up to 10 minutes on weekdays from 8am to 5pm.
How can I avoid the Nevis Bluff delays?
Drive outside the work window. Crews at Nevis Bluff on SH6 only work on weekdays between 8am and 5pm from 2 to 20 November, and they pause on Friday 13 November. Weekend trips and early or late weekday drives between Cromwell and Queenstown fall outside those hours.