When you come to us for affordable car hire in Nelson, ask us about the new speed limits between our beautiful city and Blenheim (which is a pretty cool spot too). After quite a lot of deliberation from authorities, and lobbying from some small communities in the Nelson/Marlborough region, the NZTA has announced that speed limits will be substantially lowered on State Highway 6. As those changes are coming into effect right now, we thought we’d share the finer details with you. By knowing about them now, you’ll be a lot safer later on.
The 100 kilometres per hour (kph) speed limits you might be used to in your part of New Zealand no longer apply on the highway between Nelson and Blenheim. From now on, it will be 90 kph for most of the route, with 80 kph in other sections, and even as low as 60 kph through the winding roads of the Whangamoa Saddle, in parts of Atawhai, which is the coastal suburb north of Nelson, and around the Pelorus Bridge, which movie buffs will recognise as a filming location for scenes from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
The new speed limits between Nelson and Blenheim are due to come into effect on December 18. Look out for contractors putting up new signs and widening several spots along the highway, and be aware of limits as they change in communities along the route; these will prompt you to slow right down. For example, in the lovely little settlement of Canvastown, where the highway passes by the school and acts as the main road for the village, the speed limit has been slashed from 100 kph to 60 kph. It’s the same for many other towns along the way, so pay extra attention to speed signs as you approach these settlements.
The 90 kph zones will be reviewed again in June 2023, so the reduced speeds are here to stay for a while. The drive between Nelson and Blenheim is a beautiful one and taking your time isn’t such a bad thing anyway. But if you do have to be somewhere at a specific time, then leave a little earlier so you can adhere to the new speed limits and still be punctual.
This information is just part of the local knowledge we have to share with you. If you want to know anything else about motoring around our region, and how to get there in style in one of our highly affordable vehicles, contact us and we’ll be happy to help!
