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Landholders along the potential route of a proposed motorway between Te Hana and Marsden Point Highway can expect a knock on the door over the next few months.
Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency Northland corridor programme director Derek Robertson says a preferred route for the 45km stretch of four-lane highway will be confirmed around August/September.
“We are still working to identify all potentially impacted landowners within the emerging preferred corridor and, due to the size of the corridor, this will take some time,” he said.
The current preferred route goes east of Kaiwaka and the Brynderwyns, cutting across Kaiwaka’s main roads – Settlement and Mangawhai-Kaiwaka, as well as the metal Gibbons Road. The highway then dips west, potentially between the historic hill site Pukekaroro and the iconic Baldrock, before aligning parallel with the current highway going north. On the other side of the Brynderwyns, it follows a route west of SH1.
Northland MP Grant McCallum said the announcement was a great day for Northland and made up for generations of under-investment in northern connectivity, in a region which had long suffered from its roading infrastructure. Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti said a better-inclined, straighter route would mean less carbon emissions.
“Truckies tell us they consume roughly $25 worth of fuel just going up and down the Brynderwyns. That decreases our competitiveness in Auckland and other markets, so this [road] will be the single biggest economic driver for Northland,” Reti said.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the Brynderwyn Hills was a very challenging section due to the steepness of terrain and quality of the geology.
“Alternative options in this location looked at western routes, but following further investigation, NZTA has reassessed and found a near-east alignment close to SH1. This is a more direct route with more predictable geology that can be managed through engineering design.”
He said the new expressway would provide a more resilient and secure route, and it would be an economic enabler for more people.\
“Roads take time to finalise, design and construct, but it will be worth it in the end.”
Timing of when this section of the Northern Expressway will be built has yet to be announced, but it is understood construction is at least 10 years away.
