Connections between Auckland and Northland are set to be made safer and more efficient, and travel times more reliable, with the Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway project.

When it opens in mid-May 2022, the Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway will extend the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) 18.5km from the Johnstones Hill tunnels to just north of Warkworth.

The  motorway will vastly improve the safety, connectivity and resilience of the network between Northland and Auckland, helping to boost the economic potential of the Northland region.

Under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, the Northern Express Group (NX2) consortium will finance, design, construct, manage and maintain the motorway for up to 25 years following construction.

Beca and Tonkin + Taylor, in a design joint venture, are providing tender design, detailed design and construction phase services for the construction joint venture (CJV) of Fletcher/ACCIONA.

As part of this design joint venture, we are primarily responsible for; the project’s design team leadership and design management, construction phase services of the structures, geotechnical engineering for structures, roading and landscape design, planning, air quality, contaminated land management and sustainability assurance under the Greenroads™ framework.

In conjunction with the CJV, throughout our decision-making and design processes, we have worked collaboratively with the project’s iwi partners Hōkai Nuku, stakeholders and local communities, and maintained an over-arching focus on delivering a safe, high-quality asset and whole-of-life approach.

$709.5M

Net present cost for motorway

18.5km

Extension to Auckland’s SH1

31 yrs

Total duration of contract

NX2 - View towards Ōkahu inlet, location of Te Arawhiti ki Ōkahu
NX2 - Arawhiti ki Ōkahu - Ōkahu Viaduct South Connect
NX2 - Girder lift, Arawhiti ki Pūhoi
NX2 - Arawhiti ki Ōkahu from below
Pūhoi to Warkworth render
NX2 - View towards Ōkahu inlet, location of Te Arawhiti ki Ōkahu

Our Team says

Being part of the project’s collaborative team has been immensely rewarding on a personal level, to help make our roads safer and deliver a lasting impact for local communities for decades to come.

Simon Guillemin

Design JV and CPS Manager

Our Client says

The new motorway has been designed to international standards to be one of the safest roads in New Zealand, while preserving and enhancing the environment and providing a memorable experience for road users. We are excited to watch it come to life.

Phil Millership

Senior Design Manager

Our People

Emma Fisk

Senior Technical Director - Civil Engineering

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Quintin Blackburn

Senior Principal – Project Delivery

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Simon Guillemin

Principal - Project Management

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