AECOM has been appointed as the design partner for the Warkworth to Te Hana motorway project in New Zealand, forming part of the Northway Consortium alongside ACCIONA and Aberdeen Investments.
The consortium will finance, deliver and operate the 26km highway under a long-term agreement with the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
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The project constitutes Section One of the broader Northland Corridor Programme, which aims to establish a nearly 100km motorway connecting Auckland to Whangārei.
Financial close was reached last month, with the development valued at around NZ$3.6bn ($2.11bn) in net present value over 32 years, with roughly NZ$3bn earmarked for design and construction.
The Warkworth to Te Hana expressway will feature two lanes in each direction, three interchanges at Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana, and two twin tunnels each exceeding 1,000m in the Dome Valley.
The plans also call for 15 bridges, including a structure more than 400m long across the Hoteo River.
Construction will involve over ten million cubic metres of earthworks as well as drainage, paving and geotechnical stabilisation.
AECOM’s design proposal incorporates a new system interchange, improvements to road alignment and gradients, and measures to address local safety and resilience concerns, including mitigating risks from flooding and landslips.
The approach also involves reusing excavated materials to lower the project’s environmental impact and reduce haulage and associated emissions.
AECOM Australia and NZ CEO Mark McManamny said: “The Northland Corridor is a transformational investment that will improve safety, resilience and connectivity across the upper North Island.
“We have brought together some of the industry’s leading transportation, engineering and design specialists from across New Zealand, Australia and our global business to support delivery of this nationally significant project.
“Combined with the expertise of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, ACCIONA and our design partners, this gives us an outstanding platform to deliver infrastructure that will enhance how people and freight move, support economic growth and create lasting benefits for Northland communities.”
The Warkworth to Te Hana section is described as the country’s largest public-private partnership infrastructure project.
The development is anticipated to support economic and social benefits locally and across NZ’s transport network by improving journey reliability, freight efficiency, and regional connectivity between Auckland and Northland.
