Te Tai Tokerau – Northland 2023 update

A safe, well-connected, and resilient land transport system that gets goods to market and supports economic growth in Northland is a major focus of the 2021–24 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).

Our focus is on investing in developing a more resilient land transport system that supports regional growth in Northland and supports the journeys a resurgent tourism sector will bring.

A major goal is also creating a safe roading system that reduces harm to both people and the environment and doing so in such a way that, in tough financial times, our investment is providing better value for money.

Prioritised investments in Whangārei target better options for people who walk and cycle and take account of the functions of urban streets.

As well as the emphasis on improving the resilience and safety of Northland’s roading network to help drive economic growth, this NLTP strives to maintain key road connections and ensure the right levels of service for all transport users, regardless of mode.

We’ll be working with our transport partners to ensure the region’s roads are more resilient, safer, and well-maintained to provide the access local communities need, and that are critical to the farming, forestry and tourism sectors that are the foundations of the Northland economy.

Weather events

Transport has a major role to play in supporting the economic recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle and COVID-19.  Transport services improving access to employment and essential services for vulnerable communities contribute to the economic wellbeing of Te Tai Tokerau Northland.  A focus of this NLTP is on maintaining safe and reliable connections to ensure economic recovery is supported.

Following Cyclone Gabrielle and other extreme weather events in 2023, there was a shift in focus to responding to the emergency and reconnecting communities.

Improving road safety outcomes with Māori

Waka Kotahi wants to achieve better road safety outcomes with Māori. To enable the change, we have started the Improving Road Safety with Māori project under Road to Zero Te Ara Ki te Ora. The He Pūrongo Whakahaumaru Huarahi Mō Ngā Iwi Māori | Māori road safety outcomes report has been produced to help people understand where we are starting from and the data limitations that currently exist.

The Improving Road Safety with Māori project team will work with Māori to hear more from them about the key challenges facing their people. We will do this initially in two regions, including Te Tai Tokerau, by taking a listen first approach before we partner to develop a way forward. The next steps in this journey may take time but we are committed to doing better for Māori, making sure people are getting home safe to their whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori (community).

Completed in the last 12 months

• Stage one of the SH1 Loop Road safety improvementsproject has been completed with a single-lane roundabout at a previously unsafe and inefficient intersection.
• SH1 Whangārei to Wellsford was made safer near Ruakākā where we have installed a flexible median barrier from Port Marsden Road (SH15) roundabout to Sanford Road, along with widened centre lines and flexible safety posts along the Waipū section.
• We’ve successfully been trialling new ways of providing easier and faster access to driver testing for restricted and full licences by working with local police officers qualified as driver testing officers to offer practical driver testing for Rural Activities Education Programme (REAP) students. 

Underway or about to start

• The second phase of SH1 Loop Road safety improvements, adding a lane to the roundabout and a bridge over Otaika Stream for the extra lane, is underway and will be completed by late 2023.
• SH1 Mangamuka slip repair work is underway following significant damage caused by severe weather events during winter 2022. Repair work on 16 separate slips is underway. The road is planned to be reopened by May 2024.
• The SH1 Whangārei to Wellsford safety improvements project continues with additional flexible safety posts about to be installed north of the Port Marsden Road (SH15) roundabout to Springfield Road as an interim measure ahead of the SH1 Whangārei to Port Marsden Highway safety improvements project. South of the Brynderwyns by late 2023 a widened centre line north of Ross Road and a flexible median barrier around Topuni Corner will be installed. These works are all early works while we continue to plan and design further improvements along this corridor.
• The SH10 Kaeo Bridge upgrade is underway and will see a new two-lane bridge and roundabout at the intersection of SH10 and Whangaroa Road to improve safety and traffic flow. We’re expecting to have the structure of the bridge finished by the end of 2023. The road and roundabout will open early 2024.

Funding overview

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