19 October 2020

Final week to have your say on SH1 Whangārei to Port Marsden Highway shortlisted options

Kia ora,

Earlier this month, we announced a shortlist of two route options for the SH1 Whangārei to Port Marsden Highway project, with a preferred option to be confirmed before the end of the year.

This project will provide an upgraded 22km four-lane corridor that will improve transport connections between Auckland and Whangārei. It is part of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme’s $6.8 billion investment to save lives, get regions moving and boost productivity in key growth areas.

Since our last update, we’ve invited communities within the Whangārei district, regional road users and visitors to Northland to share their thoughts with us on the two shortlisted options.

What are people saying?

So far, over 3000 people have accessed the project information online and we have received more than 200 individual pieces of feedback.

So far, we are hearing that:

• There are property and community impacts related to option E.
• Access onto the four-lane highway from a number of intersections needs to be improved/considered (including Prescott Road, Portland Road, Murdoch Crescent).
• Environmental impacts have been identified as a concern for both options A and E:
  - Feedback has shown support for option E to conserve the coastal marine environment.
  - Feedback has also shown support for option A to conserve areas of environmental value.
• Following the designated rail corridor is supported to minimise impact on properties and to save costs.
• Traffic impacts during the construction period for option A are a concern.

Share your feedback with us online

This is the final week to share your feedback on the two shortlisted route options for the SH1 Whangārei to Port Marsden Highway project.

Click here to visit our Social Pinpoint feedback site. You can choose to:

• Leave your feedback by dragging a marker and dropping it on the map or join the discussion by responding to other people’s comments.
• Fill out a short survey on the urban section (Tarewa Road to Toetoe Road) or rural section (Toetoe Road to Port Marsden Highway) of the project.

You can also provide your feedback by emailing the project team at w2pmh@nzta.govt.nz or call us on 0800 948 342.

Please remember to submit your feedback before Friday 23 October.

What happens next?

The next steps for this project are to identify the preferred option and then to progress through further assessments, ground investigations and landowner consultation.

We are planning to lodge the Notice(s) of Requirement and resource consent applications in late-2021, followed by procurement for construction and detailed design.

Construction will begin late-2023/early-2024 and will be completed in stages by 2028.

More information

For more information on the SH1 Whangārei to Port Marsden Highway project, contact us at W2PMH@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/w2pmh