Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Pūhoi to Warkworth project extended the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) 18.5km from the Johnstones Hill Tunnels to just north of Warkworth. It is the first stage of the Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Wellsford project, and was officially opened on June 16 2023.
Ara Tūhono means a connecting pathway (Ara meaning pathway/passage and Ara Tūhono means connecting or linking one part to another).
The highway was built to the west of the old SH1 and bypasses Warkworth on the western side. It is a four-lane dual carriageway, separated by a central median with a safety barrier.
Key benefits of the new route include improved safety and connectivity, more reliable journey times and a better freight connection for the Northland region.
This is expected to support economic and population growth. It will also improve connections between the growth areas in the northern Rodney area of Auckland and reduce congestion at Warkworth by providing a bypass for through traffic.
Time savings are expected to be greater for trucks due to reductions in grades and a better road layout, which helps heavy vehicles maintain a higher average speed along the route.
Within the next ten years it is predicted traffic will increase to more than 31,000 vehicles a day, shared between the new motorway and the old SH1.
The Pūhoi to Warkworth project is a PPP (Private Public Partnership) between the Government and a private consortium, the Northern Express Group (NX2).
A PPP is a long-term contract between the public and private sectors covering the financing, construction and operation of public infrastructure, such as a major road or services.
PPPs allow large and complex projects to benefit from private sector innovation and funding which can increase certainty of delivery and give better value for money. There are also savings to be had on all aspects of the project – design, build, maintenance and operational management.
Pūhoi to Warkworth is an ‘availability’ PPP. This means that payments are not linked to traffic volumes. This means that the PPP consortium will be paid for making a safe road open and available to traffic.
While the NX2 private-sector consortium is responsible for financing, designing, building, maintaining and operating the motorway for up to 25 years, the motorway will remain a public asset.
Partnership
The Northern Express Group is made up of New Zealand and overseas firms with considerable experience in the design, construction, finance, maintenance and management of major infrastructure projects. The principal partners in the consortium are:
Accident Compensation Corporation
ACC provides comprehensive, no-fault personal injury cover for all New Zealanders and visitors. In providing this role ACC maintains one of NZ’s largest investment funds in order to cover the full future costs of all accepted claims.
ACC is an equity and debt partner in the Pūhoi to Warkworth Project. Its interests are fully aligned with the partnership in ensuring that the new motorway will be built on time and to the highest quality and standard of safety.
HRL MORRISON & CO PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS
H.R.L. Morrison & Co is a specialist investment management firm and an active long-term investor in Public Private Partnerships and infrastructure.
ACCIONA CONCESIONES S.L.
ACCIONA is one of the foremost Spanish business corporations, leader in the development and management of infrastructure, renewable energy, water and services. ACCIONA Concesiones is one of the main global leaders in the private development of infrastructure, both in terms of number of projects and turnover.
FLETCHER BUILDING LTD
Fletcher Building Limited is Australasia’s largest building materials manufacturer and distributor and is involved in residential and commercial construction.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION JOINT VENTURE
ACCIONA INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
The company specialises in major areas such as bridges, roads, railways and tunnels, ports and hydraulic works. ACCIONA is capable of covering all aspects of work in each area, from design and engineering to implementation and subsequent maintenance.
THE FLETCHER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LTD
The Fletcher Construction Company Limited is a leading general contractor throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific. It operates across all sectors of the industry and is owned by the NZX listed company, Fletcher Building Ltd.
ASSET MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE JOINT VENTURE
HIGGINS CONTRACTORS LTD
Higgins is a New Zealand civil construction business that designs and builds major infrastructure projects. In 2016 Higgins was bought by Fletcher Building Ltd.
ACCIONA CONCESIONES S.L.
ACCIONA is one of the foremost Spanish business corporations, leader in the development and management of infrastructure, renewable energy, water and services. ACCIONA Concesiones is one of the main global leaders in the private development of infrastructure, both in terms of number of projects and turnover.
ARA TŪHONO PARTNERSHIP
HŌKAI NUKU LTD
Hōkai Nuku is the alliance of mana whenua of the project area and will provide advice and collaborate on cultural, social, environmental and economic aspects of the project.
Hōkai Nuku is the authorised voice of four Iwi and Hapū mana whenua – Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāti Mauku/Ngāti Kauae of Te Uri o Hau, Ngāti Rango of Kaipara and Ngāti Whātua. Hōkai Nuku was initially formed in 2010 to collaborate on the NZ Transport Agency Project – Ara Tūhono Pūhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance and has been contracted by the Transport Agency to provide specialist cultural advice for the Project. The relationship between the Transport Agency and Hōkai Nuku as Treaty partners has been formalised in a relationship agreement.
NX2 acknowledges this special relationship and will be working in close partnership with Hōkai Nuku as the project progresses.
LATEST DRONE FOOTAGE
Take a look at our final flyover from June 2023 (on the right) compared side-by-side with our very first flyover from September 2017.
You can find all flyover videos throughout the life of the project here.
For more information
You can read more about Ara Tūhono -Pūhoi to Warkworth project on the Waka Kotahi website at Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (nzta.govt.nz)
For travel planning, please visit the Journey Planner at Journey planner | Waka Kotahi Journey Planner (nzta.govt.nz)
If your question is not answered here, please call 0800 4 Highways (0800 44 44 49).
