Funding worth $1.04 billion (NZ$1.8 billion) is helping pay for New Zealand’s Cambridge to Piarere Road of National Significance (RONS) project. The new 16km extension will link the Waikato Expressway with the interchange for the SH1 and SH29 at Piarere in New Zealand’s North Island.
The project includes building a new interchange close to Karpiro Road. The project is importance as it will improve transport connectivity, particularly for heavy goods vehicles, using the important SH1 route. According to New Zealand’s Transport Ministry, the area around Auckland, Waikato and Tauranga accounts for 50% of New Zealand’s population and 60% of the country’s GDP, highlighting the economic importance of efficient transport both for this region and the country as a whole. The project is expected to cut journey times for drivers as well as improving safety and reducing the incidence of crashes.
