Waikato Expressway begins last big push

Motorists can look forward to better travel times and improved safety, with the final project of the Waikato Expressway now under way.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges today turned the first sod on the 21-kilometre Hamilton Section, which is the biggest-ever roading project in the Waikato, valued at about $970 million.

AA President Trevor Follows says it is great to see the pieces of the Waikato Expressway coming together.

“What we’re going to end up with is a 4-star highway through the heart of the Waikato,” he says.

“That means faster journeys, safer driving, and more economic growth – a lot of people still don’t realise what a big win this is for the region.”

Once complete, the project will reduce travel times between Auckland and south of Cambridge by up to 35 minutes, and Mr Follows says it represents excellent re-investment of fuel tax revenue.

“It’s great to see the petrol tax and road user charges paid by AA Members and all motorists going towards projects that benefit the whole network,” he says.

“This is going to bring the different parts of the Waikato, and the upper North Island, closer together. It’s just the sort of result we want to see from the Roads of National Significance programme.”

Both the Hamilton and Huntly Sections are due for completion in 2020, bringing construction of the Expressway to an end.