TRANSPORT

Ara Tūhono: Warkworth to Te Hana

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi · Auckland

A 26km four-lane expressway west of SH1, from north of Warkworth to north of Te Hana, bypassing the Brynderwyn Hills. Signed on 30 July 2026 as New Zealand's largest public-private partnership, on a 25-year concession to 2058 at $251m under the $3.9b public sector comparator, with a $1.6b Crown loan. Opening targeted 2033.

Favourable signals Data: High

Delivery Confidence Score, 0 to 100, higher is better: a ranking of how strong this project's delivery signals are, not a probability. It blends eight factors, including the election risk and policy alignment shown below.

Breakdown▾

Data current as at 16 Sept 2026, when the pipeline was last checked against its source.

Key facts

Region: Auckland
Part of: Northland Transport: RoNS Corridor
Sector: Transport
Status: Planning
Estimated value: $3.6b
Indicative completion: 2034
Funding status: Fully Funded
Lead organisation: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Election risk: Medium

Election risk assessment

National RoNS now under a signed PPP: financial close was reached on 30 July 2026, which is materially harder to unwind than a project still in procurement, since cancelling a concession at financial close carries contract break costs. Labour and the Greens still say they would cancel or reduce the wider Northland RoNS programme, so it remains contested.

Government priority alignment

HIGH: RoNS extension toward Northland, a government economic-growth priority (long-term).

Recent changes

2026-W37Major Estimated value down 51%: $7.5b → $3.6b.
2026-W37Notable Completion brought forward: 2040 → 2034.
2026-W37Info Owner: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency → NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

Chronology

2017Pūhoi-Wellsford named a Road of National Significance
2023Stage 1 (Pūhoi-Warkworth) opens
2026Stage 2 (Warkworth-Te Hana) PPP signed and reaches financial close (30 July): the Northway consortium, led by Acciona with Downer NZ and AECOM, will design, build, finance, maintain and operate it over a 25-year operating period expiring 2058. Net present cost NZ$3.649b (about $251m below the $3.9b public sector comparator), with a $1.6b Crown loan. New Zealand's largest PPP
2027expectedMain construction begins (November); early/mobilisation works ran from August 2026
2033expectedExpressway targeted to open (full completion 2034)

Source

Beehive: Warkworth to Te Hana PPP signed (30 Jul 2026) ↗ · RNZ: Govt signs PPP to build first section of Northland Expressway ↗ · NZTA: Ara Tūhono, Warkworth to Wellsford ↗

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