Te Honohono ki Tai – the Matakana link road project, is finished and ready to open.

A celebration was held today to mark the end of construction, in conjunction with Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth, the extension of SH1 north of Puhoi.

“Te Honohono ki Tai Road and Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth will bring transformational changes to Rodney, and provide opportunities and choices those who live, work and visit the area,” said Dean Kimpton, the Chief Executive of Auckland Transport.

“Together the two roads promote safety, reliability, resilience and connection, but also growth, prosperity, community and transport choices.”

Te Honohono ki Tai Road is 1.35 kilometres long and connects Matakana Road and SH1 just north of Warkworth in North Rodney. It features a stream crossing (bridge), walking and cycling facilities, three wetlands and landscaping elements. It also accommodates access and utility connections to new housing developments on both sides of the new road at two signalised intersections.

The road cost $62.2m to complete (design, land acquisition and construction) and was jointly funded by AT ($30.5m) and Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency ($31.7m).

Wellsford based Wharehine Construction managed the build, with 75 percent of all staff working on the project at various stages. It took just under three years to complete, allowing for Covid-19 pandemic and severe weather event interruptions.

Te Honohono ki Tai Road features:

• A new 3,800m watermain
• 35,000 of new plants including wetland plants, specimen trees and restoration planting
• A 4,500m2 (2,600m long) concrete footpath
• A 3,500m2 (1.35 total km) AC14 asphalt cycleway
• More than 20km underground cabling / ducting
• Over 3km of stormwater lines
• Cut to fill 60,000.00 m3 – (175,000m3 of Earthworks)
• 4,700t of concrete and 420t of reinforcing steel used to construct the bridge.

One the two new roads open, AT expects traffic congestion at the Hill Street will drop 50 percent and the 995 bus between Wellsford and Hibiscus Coast Station in Silverdale will run along the new motorway.

Mr Kimpton says the Warkworth Community Transport Hub will be the logical place to park and ride, freeing up car park spaces in the township for business and retail visitors.

“The Hub opening was meant to coincide with Te Honohono ki Tai Road and Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth but was finished early,” he said. “Once bus commuters realise there’s plenty of free parking with new facilities the Hub will come into its own.”

The name Te Honohono ki Tai was gifted to the project and the road by Warkworth-based iwi Ngāti Manuhiri . The road name means “from the land to the sea”– and reflects the pathway Te Honohono ki Tai Road takes from SH1 to Matakana Road.

Mr Kimpton said AT looks forward to continuing its successful partnership with Waka Kotahi and the Government to repair and build safer and more resilient roads that perform as well as Te Honohono ki Tai and Ara Tūhono – Puhoi to Warkworth.

He made special mention of the combined Te Honohono ki Tai – Matakana link road project team from AT, Aecom and Wharehine Construction.

“You went above and beyond to deliver a superb piece of new infrastructure to a community that desperately needs it, within budget,” he said.

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