Government Accelerates Four-Lane Expressway to Boost Northland's Economy

The Government is also considering legislative changes that could accelerate delivery and provide increased certainty for delivery partners.

The Coalition Government is expediting the construction of a new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to ensure faster and more efficient completion, according to Transport Minister Simeon Brown.

“For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections between Northland and the rest of the country has been a handbrake on the region’s economic development. The last Government’s decision to stop planning for a replacement to the Brynderwyns has left Northland more vulnerable and requires a significant amount of work to get this project back on track,” Mr. Brown stated.

The Government has agreed in principle to an accelerated delivery strategy that will enable the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to expedite the Northland Roads of National Significance, creating a continuous expressway between Auckland and Whangārei.

“As part of the National-NZ First coalition agreement, our Government is committed to delivering new Roads of National Significance for Northland. Delivering a programme as large and complex as this at pace requires a significant shift in delivery approach," Brown emphasized.

An accelerated delivery strategy developed by NZTA includes a progressive public-private partnership model designed to achieve efficiencies and foster innovation in planning, procurement, design, and construction across the entire roading corridor between Auckland and Whangārei. This model treats the three Roads of National Significance as stages of the same project, incentivizing the development partner to excel in design, construction, financing, maintenance, and operation for each phase of the expressway.

“Taking a corridor approach means NZTA will avoid multiple procurement processes. It will also deliver integrated design, construction, maintenance, and operations across the entire Northland Expressway, and allow greater efficiencies through scale to deliver the project up to 10 years faster than traditional approaches,” Brown noted.

The Government is also considering legislative changes that could accelerate delivery and provide increased certainty for delivery partners. Options include changes to the Public Works Act to speed up the process.

“The Northland Expressway is one of the largest infrastructure projects in New Zealand’s history. We are considering a wide range of funding, financing, and delivery tools to get this project completed as soon as possible,” Brown added.

Last year, a report by NZIER commissioned by the Northland Corporate Group found that the Warkworth to Wellsford section of the expressway alone would increase New Zealand’s annual GDP by $497 million.

“Once completed, the Northland Expressway will provide a modern, reliable, and efficient link between Northland and Auckland, unlocking economic growth and productivity by moving people and freight quickly and safely across the region,” Mr. Brown concluded.