O Mahurangi

November update

2 December 2024

Drone photo of bridge abutments being built next to State Highway 1 and East Coast Road.

Planning for the future

O Mahurangi will be a new 7km highway (SH19) between Whangaparāoa Road and State Highway 1 that will create a more resilient network and get people where they need to be faster, while supporting economic growth in the region and connecting people to new housing developments.

The O Mahurangi project is building six bridges, including one over State Highway 1 and one over East Coast Road. As shown in the photo above, the abutments for these bridges are well underway. While the expansion of SH1 and East Coast Road is not a part of the O Mahurangi project, the overbridge design ensures there is space underneath and lane expansion is possible in the future.

This future planning supports O Mahurangi in becoming a vital transport link for growing communities in North Auckland.

Scenes from site

November drop-in sessions recap

Thanks to all who attended our drop-in sessions earlier this month at the Stillwater Boat Club and Hibiscus Coast RSA. We received a variety of feedback and heard a few common questions including:

Future planning for the highway (SH19)

State Highway 19 will be two-lanes when it opens as our traffic modelling shows this is appropriate for the amount of traffic that will travel along it. Our traffic modelling extends to 2048 and takes future growth into consideration.

When demand is met, the route is wide enough to accommodate two general traffic lanes and two bus shoulder lanes, plus a separate walking and cycling path. The new highway will have an 80km speed limit and no passing lanes. If a vehicle were to break down, there is enough room for the vehicle to move over and allow traffic to pass.

Future planning for SH1

Consideration was given to the future of SH1, and the overbridge at the interchange is designed to allow for the Northern Motorway (SH1) to have six lanes (three in each direction) in the future. 

Wēiti River Bridge delay

As you may know, we are forecasting a delay to the Wēiti River Bridge component of the project of at least 12 months. The rest of the project is still on track for completion by late 2026 and will provide improved access to residents of Stillwater and others along the corridor.

SH19 connections

The O Mahurangi project includes six connections to local roads or areas, including State Highway 1, East Coast Road, two future connections (these could link with future residential developments between East Coast Road and Stillwater), Ara Wēiti Road, and

Duck Creek Road

These connections or interchanges serve as a way to enter and exit State Highway 19. For the community events, we created two maps to visualise how the connections will work:

• State Highway 1 and East Coast Road connections
• Duck Creek Road interchange

The general alignment detailed design plans are available here to view all connections.

Whangaparāoa Road intersection

The Whangaparāoa Road intersection is designed to improve safety and traffic flow, as well as enhance stormwater management. Click here to see an artist's impression of the Whangaparāoa Road intersection. Design improvements include:

• We added another westbound lane (heading towards Silverdale) on Whangaparāoa Road after Cedar Terrace.
• Left turns only in and out of Cedar Terrace.
• Extra lane length on Whangaparāoa Road for vehicles turning right to local roads, such as Wiriana Place or Beverley Road.
• Signalised intersection where SH19 meets Whangaparāoa Road.

If you weren’t able to make the drop-in sessions, you can check out the poster boards on our website for more information on:

• O Mahurangi project overview (map of corridor and quick facts)
• Wēiti River Bridge temporary props
• State Highway 1 and East Coast Road connections
• Duck Creek Road interchange
• Whangaparāoa Road intersection
• Artist’s impression of Wēiti River Bridge

Stakeholder satisfaction survey results

Thank you to all who participated in the O Mahurangi Alliance stakeholder and engagement team’s stakeholder satisfaction survey. We appreciate your time and the feedback provided.

The insights we gathered through the survey will help us refine our communications approach and address any concerns or suggestions you may have around how we engage and communicate.

We updated the website based on feedback we heard. Here are a few helpful tips:

• Design plans for the entire corridor can be found on the Design page or the Published documents page. Depending on what you’re after, there are overview design plans or detailed design plans
• There are also design plans for major interchanges: State Highway 1 and East Coast Road interchange, Duck Creek Road interchange, Whangaparāoa Road intersection, and Link Road 2 / Ara Wēiti Road interchange
• Further information on the Whangaparāoa intersection, Wēiti River Bridge, and Sustainability work is available on our Design page
• Progress photos (updated about every month) are on the Photos page
• Drone videos and other project videos are on the Videos page
• Our monthly e-newsletters are filed on the Latest news page as well as any project media releases
• There is also a dedicated FAQ page – including FAQ on the Wēiti River Bridge delay

Other overall feedback themes included:

• Majority of respondents find e-newsletters helpful (97.78%), as well as the project website and work notification letters
• Desire for easy-to-find information on the project website
• Desire for easy-to-understand information on upcoming works and project progress
• Positive feedback on drone videos and photography

If you missed our survey, we welcome ongoing feedback on our communication strategy at any time. You can reach us via our project email at omahurangi@nzta.govt.nz or by calling 0800 7365 465.

Temporary Wēiti River channel closures

This week, 2 to 8 December 2024, our team has  temporarily closed the Wēiti River channel.

This short closure is to transport a variety of equipment, including a large drilling rig, safely to the eastern side of the river to progress the construction of Pier 4.

The channel closure does not affect vessels navigating the river downstream of the worksite and when the work is complete, we will reopen to the 18-metre-wide navigable gap for vessels to pass through.

There will continue to be times, for short periods of the day during our normal working hours, where loads will be lifted over the gap and vessels will be unable to pass. Our normal hours of work are Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 4pm.

There is also another closure planned for early next year from Monday 6 January to Sunday 2 February 2025 (4 weeks).

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank all river users and neighbours for their patience during the ongoing construction of the new Wēiti River Bridge. Should you have any questions in regard to these closures, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Please note: The map below is indicative only and is not to be used for navigational purposes.

More information

For more information on the O Mahurangi project, contact us at omahurangi@nzta.govt.nz or by calling 0800 7365 465.

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