| 29 T T Anne Boswell Expressway enters next phase The road is expected to unlock economic growth and productivity by moving people and freight efficiently, quickly and safely. Northern Expressway Group REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Proudly Supporting Northern Expressway Group Carpenters Hammer Hands Labourers Heavy Machine Operators Phase 2 of the Northern Expressway (Ara Tuhono – Warkworth to Te Hana) is underway, with detailed design and construction expected to begin in late 2026. Phase 2 is a four-lane road extending 26km from Warkworth to Te Hana and includes an 850m twin-bore tunnel through Dome Valley, along with three interchanges at Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana. The road is part of the Northland Corridor, a 100km strategic route between Warkworth and Whangarei. The motorway’s name, Ara Tuhono, was gifted to the project by partner Hokai Nuku, and means a ‘connecting pathway’. With an estimated cost of $2.9-3.8 billion, the Warkworth to Te Hana section of the road is a key connector and of strategic importance to the regional and national economy. It will provide a safer, more efficient and resilient route, improving accessibility for Northland. The road is expected to unlock economic growth and productivity by moving people and freight efficiently, quickly and safely. Commuters will see improved travel time between Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana, with a high-quality, safe new route with improved geometry and gradients. The road will have positive impacts on the towns along the route, reducing heavy traffic on SH1 through Wellsford and Te Hana with the removal of nearly 1,000 heavy vehicles per day, and reducing congestion through the Wellsford main street. Well-located and convenient interchanges will ensure the Warkworth and Wellsford town centres will be accessed easily and efficiently. The project is being delivered by the Northern Express Group (NX2) on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. The NX2 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, Morrison, Acciona Concesiones S.L, Fletcher Building Ltd, Acciona Infrastructure Australia Pty Ltd, and the Fletcher Construction Company Ltd. Ara Tuhono is the second motorway in New Zealand to be constructed on behalf of the New Zealand Government under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract. Under the PPP contract, NX2 finances, designs, constructs, manages and maintains the motorway for 25 years following its construction, while full ownership of the motorway will remain with the public sector. 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. Phase 1 of the project, Puhoi to Warkworth, was opened in June 2023, comprising 18.5km of four-lane dual car carriageway extending north from the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels to just north of Warkworth. The cost of Phase 1 was $877.5 million (up to $1.05 billion when including property acquisition). In 2020, the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway team was the winner of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Environmental Excellence Award. The award recognises the project team’s effort to overcome the challenges of the project and, in addition, protect the environment, particularly waterways, through erosion and sediment control. The approximate completion date for the Warkworth to Te Hana motorway is 2034.
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