Springs Junction is a small settlement and road junction in the West Coast region of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of and State Highway 65 (the Shenandoah Highway), east of Reefton, on the main route between Christchurch and the Nelson, Tasman and Buller districts.
Geography
Springs Junction lies on the Alpine Fault. At Springs Junction is a site where geologists have dug trenches to study past earthquakes along the Alpine Fault.
16 km to the east is the thermal resort of Maruia Springs. 6.5 km to the east is the DOC Marble Hill campsite
Springs Junction saw a major increase in traffic flow after the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. This earthquake closed the main State Highway 1 route and Springs Junction was on the alternative route from Picton to Christchurch. The New Zealand Transport Agency expected the volume of traffic to quadruple while the State Highway 1 route underwent months of repairs.
Amenities
The settlement includes two petrol stations (GAS and NPD), a café (closed as of March 2023), and some houses.
In July 2022, the government funded the construction of two electric vehicle DC charging stations at Springs Junction. The chargers will fill the gap between Culverden, Reefton and Murchison. As the line supplying Springs Junction is already near capacity, a battery energy storage system will also be installed to defer a supply upgrade.