State Highway 48 (New Zealand)

State Highway 48
State Highway 48
Route information
	Maintained by NZ Transport Agency
Length	6.3 km (3.9 mi)
Major junctions
Northwest end	SH 47 near National Park
Southeast end	Whakapapa Village
Location
Country	New Zealand
Highway system
	New Zealand state highways; Motorways and expressways; List;

State Highway 48 (SH 48), also known as Bruce Road, is one of New Zealand's shortest state highways. It provides access to Whakapapa Skifield on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. It is roughly 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) long and, with the exception of the junction with SH 47, it lies entirely within Tongariro National Park. SH 48 includes the highest point of the state highway network, 1,153 metres (3,783 ft) above sea level.^[1]

Route

The highway commences at a junction with SH 47, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) east of National Park. It climbs rapidly, following the route of the young Whakapapa River, a tributary of the Whanganui. The highway terminates in Whakapapa Village at the visitors centre near the intersection of Rehua Place, from where an unclassified road winds the further 6 kilometres up the slopes to the skifield.^[2]^{[unreliable source?]}^[when?]