Is State Highway 1 open?

Live closures, hazards and roadworks on SH1 — Kaikōura's coastal lifeline — from Waka Kotahi's official highway feed.

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About these tools

Town Tools builds free, public tools for Kaikōura and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.

The official channels

Waka Kotahi journeys — live highway conditionsThe authoritative, up-to-the-minute source this page reads from. Check it before you drive. Phone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).

Kaikōura District CouncilLocal notices and updates when the road or district is affected.

Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency ManagementEmergency information for the Canterbury group, which covers Kaikōura.

Worth knowing

Why one road matters so much here

The magnitude-7.8 Kaikōura earthquake in November 2016 triggered thousands of landslides along the coast, cutting SH 1 to the north and south and isolating the town by land. The road reopened in stages through 2017 and fully by the end of that year; the rebuilt coastal sections are still watched closely in heavy rain.

When SH 1 closes, the way out is inland

With the coast road shut, the detour between Kaikōura and Christchurch runs inland via the Inland Kaikōura Road (SH 70) to Waiau and SH 7 over the Lewis Pass — a longer, slower alpine route that can itself close in winter snow. Check its status before relying on it.