State Highway 96 (New Zealand)

State Highway 96
State Highway 96
Route information
	Maintained by NZ Transport Agency
Length	92.0 km (57.2 mi)
Major junctions
East end	SH 1 (Pioneer Highway) at Mataura
West end	Ohai
Location
Country	New Zealand
Primary; destinations	Hedgehope, Browns, Winton, Nightcaps
Highway system
	New Zealand state highways; Motorways and expressways; List;

State Highway 96 is a New Zealand state highway connecting the Southland^[1] communities of Mataura, Winton, and Ohai. Starting at State Highway 1 the highway is 92 kilometres (57 mi) in length and runs in a general east–west direction.^[2] In Winton State Highway 96 runs concurrently with State Highway 6 for 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) kilometres.

Route

SH 96 starts just south of Mataura in the Mataura River Valley and rises to the feet of the Hokonui Hills. The highway skirts the southern end of the hills as it passes through the localities of Te Tipua, Waitane and Glencoe. At Hedgehope, the road swings towards the northwest from the west as it passes through Springhills and Browns to emerge on the Southland Plains at Winton, the highway begins its 1.6 km long concurrency with State Highway 6.

After ending concurrency and crossing the Ōreti and Aparima Rivers the highway continues proceeding in a north-westerly direction towards Wreys Bush and Nightcaps. The highway eventually terminates in the coal-mining community of Ohai, but the road itself continues skirting the Longwood Range, and becomes State Highway 99 at Clifden.

References

^ "State highway frequently asked questions", Waka Kotahi, archived from the original on 8 October 2023, retrieved 6 February 2024, State highways 90–99 are in Southland.
^ NZ Topo250 (Map). 1:250,000. Land Information New Zealand. 2023. § 250.25 & 250.26.