Transport Minister Chris Bishop has announced registrations of interest for the first stage of the Northland Expressway project will open later this week at the NZ Infrastructure Investment Summit.
This week’s Infrastructure Investment Summit has been arranged by the Government to showcase its infrastructure pipeline and “exciting growth sectors to companies managing about $6 trillion in capital”, Bishop said.
One of the first for investors to consider would be the already well-advanced project, between Warkworth and Te Hana — a 26km-long four-lane road built to expressway standard.
The design included an 850m-long twin-bore tunnel in the Dome Valley and three interchanges at Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana. It would connect to the new Pūhoi to Warkworth expressway.
This section was the first of three that will become the Northland Expressway, linking Warkworth and Whangārei.
Bishop said the Warkworth-Te Hana section was the “most advanced” in terms of designation, consents and property acquisition.
“NZTA is progressing planning and design for the remaining sections of the corridor. Decisions on the emerging preferred corridor for Sections 2 and 3, including an alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills, will be announced soon.”
Cabinet had approved NZTA to move to the next stage of procurement and agreed the project would be delivered as a Public-Private Partnership, he added.
“Formal procurement will begin this week with the Registration of Interest process. Registered parties will be invited to submit a formal Expression of Interest (EOI). This will be followed by a Request for Proposal (RFP) in mid-2025 for up to three shortlisted bidders, with a preferred bidder expected to be announced in early 2026 and the PPP contract finalised by the middle of next year.”
“Detailed design and construction for the Warkworth to Te Hana RoNS is expected to start in late 2026. A completion date for the project will be confirmed following procurement, but is expected to be around 2034.
“The Northland Expressway is expected to make use of the Fast-track Approvals Act as well as the Public Works Act changes for critical infrastructure announced yesterday.”
Bishop said the road would “unlock” Northland’s economic potential and was a “genuinely transformational opportunity”.
“The upper North Island is the economic powerhouse of New Zealand. Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty collectively account for 53.7 per cent of New Zealand’s population (2.7 million people), and 55.5% of GDP ($215 billion).
“This isn’t just an investment into Northland – it’s an investment into the broader upper North Island area.”
