Skip to main content

Video: Auckland’s Penlink Highway inches closer to becoming a reality

The final hurdle regarding land settlement has been cleared for Auckland’s ambitious US$274 million Penlink Highway. The 7km route will improve access to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula but it could be up to 20 years before construction starts, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald newspaper. The local authority-controlled Auckland Transport hasn't decided if it will pay for the proposed four-lane toll road that would include a 540m bridge over the Weiti River. An Auckland Transport spokesman said
August 9, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The final hurdle regarding land settlement has been cleared for Auckland’s ambitious US$274 million Penlink Highway.

The 7km route will improve access to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula but it could be up to 20 years before construction starts, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald newspaper.

The local authority-controlled Auckland Transport hasn't decided if it will pay for the proposed four-lane toll road that would include a 540m bridge over the Weiti River. An Auckland Transport spokesman said they did not have construction funding but were "regularly reviewing the priority" for Penlink.

The newspaper reported that the promoters estimate Penlink could attract 16,600 vehicles per day and use a toll system similar to the Northern Gateway - the first toll road in New Zealand to be fully electronic. Northern Gateway extends the Northern Motorway (SH1) 7.5km further north from Orewa to Puhoi.

Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett recently wrote an opinion article for in the Herald, saying that Penlink's cost would be "modest" compared with the recent larger projects. Its benefit-cost ratio of 2.9 also gave it a rating higher than several of NZTA's Roads of National Significance, he reportedly said.

Related Content

  • Earthmoving machines the backbone of construction
    February 7, 2012
    Earthmoving machines remain the backbone of construction operations - writes Mike Woof. ADTs, excavators and wheeled loaders play pivotal roles in most construction jobs with the earthmoving stage providing a key component of most projects.
  • New Thames River bridge crossing proposed for UK capital London
    July 2, 2014
    Plans are once more being put forward for a new bridge spanning the River Thames in East London. The proposed structure is expected to cost in the region of €750 million (£600 million) to build and has been designed by Arup and HOK. The campaign for the new bridge is being led by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), which says that there is a desperate need for an additional crossing. The campaign group also has the support of City Airport, which lies on the north side of the Thames and would
  • Montenegro on the ropes over China deal
    April 13, 2021
    The first 41km of highway cost €20 million per kilometre - one of the most expensive highways in the world.
  • Indonesia’s road revamp is seeing new road transport connections
    July 16, 2018
    Indonesia’s road development programme is continuing, with a series of major projects being carried out across the country that will boost transport connections. State funding will help progress on the Trans-Sumatra toll road, paying for six sections of the road link. In all the 1,480km toll road project is expected to cost nearly US$11.85 billion, with state funding paying for a significant portion of the work So far the state-owned construction firm, Hutama Karya, which is building much of the route has