A preferred road corridor announcement in Northland and news of Tauranga’s Tauriko West road project being given a green light is expected to enhance connectivity in New Zealand.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has investigated options to the slip-prone Brynderwyn Hills state highway, including two bypass routes to the west.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop revealed today the earmarked route will go from Warkworth east of State Highway 1 and over the Brynderwyn Hills, then through to Whangārei.

The news of the corridor is being welcomed by the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA), which says the news “signals the unlocking of major gains for the Northland economy and further enhances connectivity in New Zealand’s most important economic region”.

“For those in Whangārei and further north, the four-lane connection between Auckland and Whangārei can’t come soon enough,” the EMA’s head of advocacy, Alan McDonald, said in a statement.

“When you add that announcement to yesterday’s decision on the SH29 and 29a connections from Tauranga, there are big gains for the economy and housing infrastructure to follow.”

When completed, the connection between Auckland and Whangārei is expected to benefit that corridor by more than $500 million annually, similar to the gains seen on the corridors south to Hamilton and eventually through to Piarere, McDonald said.

“In addition, the Tauriko four-laning and Takitimu North projects in Tauranga create significant gains for the movement of people, goods and freight.

“As well as unlocking thousands of jobs, the Tauriko project also opens up the construction of up to 30,000 new homes. Housing growth in Tauranga has been constrained by a lack of buildable sites in recent years.”

The EMA has long supported a four-lane connection to Whangārei as it allows the region to become a full participant in the economic engine of the upper North Island’s “golden triangle”, McDonald said.

More than 40% of New Zealand’s economy is generated in the corridors from Tauranga to Hamilton and Auckland, with Northland (Whangārei and beyond) increasingly becoming a part of this engine.

“Reliable connections from Whangārei to Auckland and beyond, through to Tauranga, are critical. Warkworth is already becoming a growth area for business and housing, following the completion of the four-lane highway that currently ends just north of the town. We’ll see similar growth in the next phase ending north of Wellsford at Te Hana,” McDonald said.

“With major business and housing growth in areas south of Auckland at Glenbrook, Pukekohe, Papakura and Drury, as well as the ongoing developments at Ruakura and other areas south of Hamilton, the improved connections to Tauranga are also critical.

“The confirmation of these major corridor projects is good news for the region, especially in linking the major port hubs at Marsden, Auckland and Tauranga.”

More about the Tauriko West project

The Tauriko West project will be delivered in four phases:

Phase 1: Ōmanawa Bridge replacement (SH29) – The replacement of the Ōmanawa Bridge, realignment of the connections on SH29 around the bridge and minor improvements to the Ōmanawa Road Intersection. Construction is expected to start later this year.

Phase 2: Route protection for SH29 and SH29A – Designating, consenting and progressing property acquisition so NZTA is ready to proceed with the detailed design and construction when funding is made available. This also protects the route from being built out in the upcoming development of the area.

Phase 3: SH29 offline – Constructing a new four-lane SH29 from north of the Ōmanawa Bridge to connect to the Takitimu North Link Interchange including Takitimu Drive Toll Road and revocation of the existing SH29 (indicative design and construction timeframe, subject to funding).

Phase 4: Widening existing SH29A – From Takitimu Drive Toll Road to Barkes Corner and a new interchange at Barkes Corner.

“With the NZTA board’s endorsement of the investment case, the SH29 Tauriko West Rons can now progress to designate and consent a new route between Ōmanawa Bridge and Takitimu North Link in the western Bay of Plenty for future construction.”