State Highway 6 reopens after fatal incident

Martin De Ruyter/Stuff Police control access to the Songer St overbridge as it crosses State Highway 6, Whakatu Drive after a fatal incident.

One of the main routes into Nelson has reopened after almost 12 hours following a fatal incident on the highway.

All lanes of Whakatu Drive, State Highway 6, reopened just after 1pm on Friday, transport agency Waka Kotahi said.

Police mistakenly said in a statement at 11.45am, that the highway had reopened, but Waka Kotahi contractors were still working to clear the scene.

The highway closure has caused traffic chaos in Nelson with delays of more than an hour reported on Friday morning.

Police said emergency services were called to the scene on the highway around 1.30am. One person was found dead, near the Songer St overbridge.

The highway was closed between Quarantine Rd and the Richmond Deviation.

A lane of the Songer St overbridge, above the highway, was also closed, with police controlling access.

A tent could be seen covering a southbound lane of the highway near the overbridge.

Motorists have been advised to detour onto Salisbury Rd Extension, left onto Main Rd Stoke, left onto Annesbrook Drive back onto State Highway 6, while the reverse was the case for southbound road users.

The closure created traffic jams in Richmond, particularly for motorists heading towards Nelson on Friday morning.

Delays of more than an hour were reported and traffic was banked up the length of Salisbury Rd into Oxford St.

One mother said she spent 25 minutes in traffic on Oxford St and Salisbury St trying to get to the Richmond Aquatic Centre before giving up at the Talbot St intersection.