Puhoi to Wellsford upgrade a step closer

The Puhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance (RoNS) is one step closer with the recent announcement by Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee of the creation of a new planning alliance.

The formation of the Further North Alliance, comprising of engineering firms Sinclair Knight Merz and GHD, legal firm Chapman Tripp, and the NZ Transport Agency, brings the region closer to the first phase of construction – the 18km Puhoi to Warkworth section of the total 38km stretch.

The new highway between Puhoi and Warkworth, as the first stage of the four-lane motorway project, will eventually extend to Wellsford, replacing the existing State Highway 1, and is expected to cost around $1 billion to construct.

“The Puhoi to Wellsford upgrades will provide a significant stimulus to business and development in the Northland economy as it is a trade and economic highway vital to the economic growth and potential in the Northland economy,” says Mike Sabin, Member of Parliament for Northland.

“Last year, during the whole-of-Northland Economic Summits in which 14 sectors across the Northland economy were represented, infrastructure was singled out as the most significant enabler and constrainer of economic growth in the region, and the Puhoi RoNS was at the top of that list of priorities.

The RoNS are considered ‘lead infrastructure’ projects, says Mr Sabin, in that they enable economic growth rather than simply respond to it.
“The planning alliance is an exciting next step, moving Northland closer to the construction of this vital road.”