ACCIONA has selected Jacobs to deliver multidisciplinary design and project delivery services for the Warkworth to Te Hana segment of the Northland Corridor highway project in New Zealand (NZ).
The highway section, part of the Ara Tūhono route, is recognised as the country’s largest public-private partnership infrastructure project and carries a total estimated value of approximately $2.1bn (NZ$3.6bn).
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The 26km expressway will provide four lanes and include three major interchanges at Warkworth, Te Hana and Wellsford.
Plans for the route also include two sets of twin tunnels through the Dome Valley, each more than 1,000m long, and 15 bridges, among them a structure of over 400m spanning the Hoteo River.
The NZ government expects the project to improve travel reliability, road safety and the resilience of the key connection between Auckland and Northland, while also supporting regional communities and freight movement.
Under its contract, Jacobs will assume responsibility for the design of all 15 bridges, utility relocations and building facilities, with services spanning design management, digital engineering, geotechnical engineering, and building services.
Excavation works will involve over ten million m³ of earth, accompanied by extensive drainage and paving.
Jacobs executive vice president Sinead Giblin said: “This project will help to improve mobility, strengthen network resilience and support future growth across northern New Zealand.
“By combining integrated design, digital delivery and multidisciplinary engineering services, Jacobs will contribute to creating infrastructure that provides lasting value for the people, businesses and communities that depend on this route every day.”
Marking the start of the construction phase, ACCIONA and government officials, including NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and NZ Transport Minister Christopher Bishop, held a sod turning ceremony for the Warkworth to Te Hana section.
The route has been classified as a Road of National Significance within the state highway network.
ACCIONA Australia and New Zealand construction managing director José Angel Andrés López said: “ACCIONA is proud to combine local capability with global expertise to deliver this transformative project for New Zealand. We are delighted to welcome Jacobs to the team and look forward to drawing on their industry-leading expertise as we bring this vision to life.”
The Warkworth to Te Hana project will be carried out by Northway Consortium, a partnership between ACCIONA and Aberdeen, on behalf of the NZ Government and the NZ Transport Agency.
Through a long-term concession agreement, Northway Consortium will finance, deliver and operate the corridor, which forms part of a broader, nearly 100km strategic plan to enhance transport links in the region.
In September 2026, AECOM was selected as the design partner for the Warkworth to Te Hana motorway project, joining the Northway Consortium.
