Corridor Access Requests
Kā Tono mō kā Tomoka Ara
Formal permit required for work or activities in a public road corridor.
What are the requirements for working within the road corridor?
Whenever an activity changes the way a road normally operates, a risk is created for both workers and road users. When planning to carry out any work or activity that affects the normal operation of any road, footpath or berm in the Queenstown Lakes District, a corridor access request (CAR) must be submitted to Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) for review and approval.
The CAR process is grounded in the principles of the New Zealand Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (NZGTTM) and the broader legislative framework, including:
This approach recognises that every worksite is different, and that safety, network efficiency, and community impacts must be actively assessed and managed—not just prescribed through standard layouts.
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When working in or affecting the road corridor, you (as the applicant / PCBU):
Are responsible for identifying and managing risk associated with your activities.
Must demonstrate that risks to workers, road users, and the public are understood and controlled
Need to consider both site-specific risks and wider network impacts
QLDC’s role as the Road Controlling Authority (RCA) is to:
Control and coordinate access to the roading network
Uphold regulatory compliance
Review and contribute to your approach to risk, not design it for you
Apply proportionate, risk-based decision-making
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The Corridor Access Request (CAR) process is how QLDC assesses whether proposed works can proceed.
At a high level, the process involves:
Understanding the activity and its impact on the road corridor
Reviewing the risks and proposed controls
Determining broader network and regulatory impacts
Feedback and recommendations where gaps, omissions, or clarifications are identified.
Issuing approval (via a Works Access Permit)
Monitoring, quality assurance, and escalation during corridor occupation, where required.
This process is risk proportionate—meaning higher-risk or more complex activities require deeper assessment, while lower-risk works follow a simpler pathway.
How to apply
CAR applications have to be submitted via the 'Before U Dig' website or Submitica website.
CAR applications must include a Traffic Management Plan (TMP) – the applicant’s documented plan describing how traffic and road users will be managed during an activity. The TMP is an operational tool owned and implemented by the applicant. Traffic Management Diagram or Schemes are to be included in the TMP, showing the physical layout and movements associated with work activity and its TTM controls including setup and breakdown stages.
Supporting you through the process
To help applicants successfully navigate the CAR process, QLDC has developed a suite of supporting tools.
These tools are designed to:
Make expectations clear and consistent
Support good quality risk assessments
Reduce rework and delays
Help applicants prepare complete and robust submissions
Key documents and tools
1. Risk Appetite and Tolerance Framework
Set out how QLDC apply existing risk appetites and tolerances to corridor access request (CAR) decision-making., including:
What levels of risk are acceptable
How risk decisions are made
How proportionality is applied
Use this to understand how your application will be assessed
2. Applicant Tools
These tools support you in preparing and submitting your CAR:
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What information must be included in your Temporary Traffic Management Plan.
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Helps you identify, and document risks and controls.
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Explains how differences in technical views may be managed and resolved.
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Answers to common questions from applicants.
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A simple visual of the end-to-end process.
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Local context, constraints, and network considerations (further development in progress).
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A practical checklist to confirm your TMP and risk assessment align with NZGTTM principles.
Our goal is to enable safe, efficient access to the road corridor by supporting applicants to apply good risk management practices that are proportionate to their work and the environment in which it occurs.
Weight and Speed Restrictions on Bridges
The Queenstown Lakes District Council has fixed the following maximum weight and speed limits for heavy motor vehicles and combinations including a heavy motor vehicle on the bridges described hereunder:
Bridge No. | Bridge Name | Road Name | Gross Vehicle Weight (%Class 1) | Axle Limit (kg) | Speed Limit (km/hr) |
2 | Sawyer Burn | Meads Road | 100% | - | 10 |
3 | Bee Burn | Meads Road | 80% | - | 10 |
4 | Peter Muir | Timaru Creek Road | 80% | - | 10 |
5 | Johns Creek | Timaru Creek Road | 40% | - | 10 |
6 | Grandview Creek | Gladstone Road | 70% | - | 10 |
22 | Precipice Creek | Glenorchy-Paradise Road | 100% | 8,000KG | 10 |
25 | Invincible | Rees Valley Road | 65% | - | 10 |
35 | Deep Creek | Skippers Road | 40% | - | 10 |
36 | Skippers | Skippers Road | CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC | ||
54 | Matukituki | West Wanaka Road | 13,600KG | 8,200KG (ONE VEHICLE AT A TIME) | - |
55 | Motatapu River | Motatapu Road | 30% | 3,500KG | 10 |
56 | South Von | Von Road | 3,100KG (LIGHT VEHICLES ONLY) | 2,460KG (LIGHT VEHICLES ONLY) | 10 |
57 | Bush Creek | Von Road | No. of Axles - Gross Weight 2 - 8,000KG 3 - 11,000KG 4 - 14,000KG 5 - 17,000KG 6 - 18,000KG 7 - 22,000KG 8 - 24,000KG 9+ - 26,000KG | 4,400KG | 10 |
84 | Muddy Creek | Greenstone Station Road | 100% | - | 10 |
Dated: 26 March 2026