According to Transport Minister Michael Wood, the opening of the Hamilton Section of the Waikato Expressway today completes a 30-year road construction project that will increase safety, shorten travel times, and foster economic growth.
“It’s fantastic to see the final 22-kilometer section of the Expressway coming together.”
“The full 102 km Waikato Expressway will also reduce travel times between Auckland and Tirau by 35 minutes for approximately 20,000 vehicles per day,” says the Waikato Expressway Authority.
“This road connects Auckland to the agricultural and business centers of the Waikato and will improve economic growth and productivity in the region.”
The Hamilton stretch, which connects Ngruawhia in the north to the current Tamahere interchange in the south of Hamilton, is the largest road project in Waikato history.
The four-laning of State Highway 1 between Bombay and south of Cambridge is complete with this component.
This is a significant turning point for Hamilton. Work on the initial portions of the Waikato Expressway began in the 1990s, and it will be one of the safest roads in the nation thanks to the continuous leadership of Waikato-Tainui and members from Ngaati Koroki Kahukura, Ngaati Hauaa, Ngaati Wairere, and Ngaati Mahanga on the project.
The Waikato Expressway was constructed in accordance with the greatest safety standards.
The highway is just one of several enhancements to road safety that the government is making.
Due to its contemporary architecture and safety features, this route has had its speed limit raised to 110 km/h.
The entire highway is lined with side and central safety barriers, making it much safer for drivers and future-proof for future generations.
One of the best highways in the nation is this one.
The National Land Transport Fund provided money for the Waikato Expressway, with applications for funds made for each segment as it moved through its many stages, from pre-implementation through completion.
Despite COVID-19’s delays, the Hamilton expressway segment was completed on schedule and to the strictest safety guidelines.
Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, neighborhood mayors, iwi, and stakeholders joined Minister Wood this morning to cut the ribbon on the last stretch of road, which is now open for traffic.
Editors’ Notes:
By route of the Waikato Expressway, decrease the 35-minute difference in travel times between Auckland and Trau fewer collisions involving fatalities and serious injuries lower the cost of fuel lessen the amount of traffic in smaller towns like Huntly, Ngruawhia, and Cambridge Boost traffic flow and passing possibilities on the highway.
When completed, a four-lane motorway with a divided median would enable uninterrupted, safe travel for 78 km from Hampton Downs to south of Cambridge.
T
amahere and Pookeno saw the start of construction on the older stretches of the expressway in the 1990s, and Hinewai and Mercer saw more work in the 2000s.
The remaining seven sections, Te Rapa (opened in 2012), Ngaaruawaahia (2013), Cambridge (2015), Rangiriri (2017), Longswamp (2020), Huntly (2020), and presently Hamilton, were all financed for construction in 2009. (2022).