This morning, preferred routes for two sections of the Northland Expressway were announced, with Transport Minister Chris Bishop urging patience as the project will unfold over years.

 The first phase, a 26km stretch from Warkworth to Te Hana, will bypass Wellsford’s summer traffic jams, running east of the current highway. 

Already consented, procurement is underway, with construction set to begin next year and completion targeted for 2032. Italian firm Webuild has confirmed its bid to build and operate this section as a public-private partnership. A toll is “almost certain” for this segment, Bishop noted. 

 The next phase, crossing the Brynderwyns, will follow, with the route from the Brynderwyns’ northern side to Port Marsden Highway at Ruakākā veering west of the existing road. The northernmost section, from Ruakākā to Whangārei—a crash-prone stretch—still awaits a finalized route. Another toll may apply north of the Brynderwyns, making three between Auckland and Whangārei.

 NZTA will engage landowners starting Thursday 24th April, with route confirmation expected by September.

 At the Brynderwyns lookout announcement, Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti hailed the expressway as a regional game-changer, promising economic growth and safer roads. Northland MP Grant McCallum emphasized it would address decades of under-investment, improving access to places like the Bay of Islands. Regional Transport Committee chairman Joe Carr noted the $200 million economic hit from 2023-24 Brynderwyn closures, underscoring the need for reliable roads.

 Regional Development Minister Shane Jones stressed urgency after Easter’s partial highway closure, saying the new expressway will withstand severe weather, ensuring better connectivity and shorter travel times. Plans for a Brynderwyns bypass, paused in 2017, were revived post-Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, when slips forced months of closures, diverting traffic to narrow back roads.

Mike Hoskin interview with Transport minister Chris Bishop. Click Here