Waitematā Harbour Connections

17 December 2024

Works commence on Waitematā Harbour Connections

Kia ora koutou,

Minister of Transport Simeon Brown has confirmed the Government's commitment to the next steps of Waitematā Harbour Connections in the media recently.

Waitematā Harbour Connections is one of New Zealand’s most complex and significant infrastructure projects in the coming decades. An additional Waitematā Harbour crossing will form part of a well-connected and efficient transport system, providing greater long-term resilience for the wider transport network and reducing the current pressures on the aging Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Minister Brown confirmed progressing an additional Waitematā Harbour crossing is a priority for the Government and was included in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) 2024. The project was also included in the National Land Transport Programme 2024-27 by the NZTA Board.

Next steps

During the next 12 to 18 months, we will refine the scope of the crossing and progress geotechnical, environmental, and utilities investigations to gain a comprehensive understanding of ground and seabed conditions.

This phase of work will provide greater confidence and a more detailed understanding of the costs, risks, trade-offs, and assumptions for the bridge and tunnel options and how they connect to the wider transport network, prior to seeking a decision on which option to progress.

We will also be considering funding, financing, and procurement options to inform delivery stages and models, which will include market sounding to understand market appetite for options and identify concerns or preferences potential partners might have to inform option refinement.

Work to progress the investigations is underway and we expect to start geotechnical investigations in the harbour early 2025.

We look forward to sharing more information with you in the coming months as the project develops and more information is available.

More information

For more information on the Waitematā Harbour Connections project, contact us at awhc@nzta.govt.nz

Or visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/awhc