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What the highways are made of

The amount of traffic on our state highways requires hardwearing road surfaces that not only meet strict internationally recognised performance criteria but suit the huge variations in New Zealand's terrain. We also have a responsibility to ensure a sensible spend on state highway construction and maintenance, which means choosing the right surface for the right road - for the long term.

Road surfacing

Chipseal is the most common road surface in New Zealand, but look carefully - chipsealed roads differ between the North and the South Islands. Find out why.
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Pavement condition surveys

Pavement condition surveys keep track of the network's physical condition - so that we can identify and respond to issues before they become problems.

Maintaining good skid resistance

Effective wet-road skid resistance is vital to delivering a safe, well-performing state highway network. Read about how we measure and monitor skid resistance.
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Road pavements

Learn about the mix of bitumen and stones that sits beneath the surface of our roads - and about the research we undertake to improve the way we build them.

Monitoring pavement performance

The New Zealand Long Term Pavement Performance programme (LTPP) shows how surfaces perform under factors like climatic and soil conditions and traffic volumes.
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Why are New Zealand roads chipsealed?
Check our FAQs for this and more.