New Zealand roads comprise state highways and local roads. State highways run the length and breadth of the country and connect major centres. They are owned by the Crown and managed on its behalf by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Local roads - sealed and unsealed roads – are community owned, and managed by the country’s city and district councils
Of the state highway network, there are 363 km of motorways and expressways which carry 10 per cent of all New Zealand traffic. The majority of the state highway network is made up of single-carriageway roads with one lane each way.
Chipseal is the most common type of road surface in New Zealand.
Since 2013, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has used the One Network Road Classification (ONRC) system to classify state highways and local roads. There are six categories for New Zealand roads : National; Regional; Arterial; Primary collector; Secondary collector; Access.
In September 2024 the government announced a new direction for New Zealand's land transport system for the next 10 years, with $32.9 billion budgeted for investment. The Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 (GPS 2024) focuses on a transport network that supports economic prosperity by enabling people and freight to move around efficiently, quickly and safely.
The National Land Transport Programme is a 3-year programme of prioritised activities with a 10-year forecast of revenue and expenditure.
Within this the government announced the reintroduction of Roads of National Significance, with planning underway to set up a 10-year pipeline of work for all projects.
State highway network
- Total length of state highways – 11,750 km
- Length of North Island state highways – 6669 km
- Length of South Island state highways – 5081 km
Local roading network
- Total length of local roads – 86,368 km
- Total length of urban local roads – 20,202 km
- Total length of rural local roads (sealed) – 34,833 km
- Total length of rural local roads (unsealed) - 30,972 km
- Total length of motorways – 285 km
Forecast roading expenditure 2024-2027
- State Highway improvements - $7.01 billion
- State Highway pothole prevention - $2.07 billion
- State Highway operations - $2.3 billion
- Local road improvements - $1.3 billion
- Local road pothole prevention - $3.44 billion
- Local road operations - $2.25 billion
Annual aggregate production statistics
- Total aggregate production – 27.6 million tonnes (2022)
- Total ready-mixed concrete production – 4.02 million cubic metres (2024)