New Zealand Transport Agency, Waka Kotahi, is seeking expressions of interest for delivering section 1 of the Northland Corridor, from Ara Tūhono/Warkworth to Te Hana.
The agency said that the Northland Corridor is one of the most significant infrastructure upgrade investments to be undertaken in New Zealand. It is a 100km four-lane motorway and is a key link connecting Northland to the rest of New Zealand. It is made up of three sequential Roads of National Significance (RoNS) between Warkworth and Whangārei. Section 1 is the Warkworth-to-Te Hana and section 2 is Te Hana-to-Port Marsden Highway. Section 3 is from Port Marsden to Whangārei.
Northland is the northernmost of New Zealand’s 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. Auckland lies immediately south.
Waka Kotahi said that the Registration of Interest, ROI, “marks the start of the procurement process” which was recently announced by Chris Bishop, transport minister, in the lead up to the NZ Infrastructure Investment Summit that was held earlier this month.
For a NZTA fly-through animation video of the complete project, click here and scroll down.
“This is a major milestone for the development of Northland’s transport network,” said Derek Robertson, NZTA Northland Corridor programme director. “The three Roads of National Significance that make up the Northland Corridor will support economic growth and productivity, reduce congestion, improve safety, support housing development and improve freight connections to the wider Upper North Island. The Ara Tūhono/Warkworth to Te Hana section is the most advanced part of the corridor in terms of consents, property acquisition and design, meaning we can start construction sooner than the other sections.”
The indicative design for the 26km four-lane highway includes an 850m tunnel in the Dome valley and three interchanges at Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana. These improvements will address the known safety and resilience challenges in the Dome valley, a critical freight and passenger route.
The project will be delivered under a public-private partnership, with the current Registration of Interest process marking the first stage of procurement. This will be followed by formal Expression of Interest process that will get underway before the end of the month.
A Request for Proposal will be put out in mid-2025 for up to three shortlisted bidders, with a preferred bidder expected to be announced in early 2026 and contract finalised by the middle of next year.
Detailed design and construction are expected to start in late 2026.
NZTA said it is also advancing plans for the remaining sections, including an alternative route to the Brynderwyn Hills. Decisions on section 2 Te Hana to Port Marsden Highway and section 3 Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei will be announced soon. Taking a corridor approach will enable NZTA to take advantage of scale and leverage efficiencies, improve innovation and deliver outcomes faster.
For more information on the Northland Corridor Ara Tūhono-Warkworth to Te Hana project on the NZTA website, click here.
