O Mahurangi Penlink (''Peninsula Link'') is the name for the road currently under construction which will create a more direct and quicker route between the Whangaparāoa Peninsula and central

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

in New Zealand.

Concept

The road would provide a second access route off the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, and is claimed by some to be needed to unlock large amounts of commercial land, contribute up to $173 million to GDP during its construction, and create employment estimated at more than 5000 jobs. The project's planning was originally being undertaken by Rodney District Council, Auckland Regional Council, and

Transit New Zealand Transit New Zealand (Māori: Ararau Aotearoa), which existed from 1989 to 2008, was the New Zealand Crown entity responsible for operating and planning the New Zealand state highway network (10,894 km, about 12% of New Zealand's roads). It ...

before 2010. With the creation of the Auckland Supercity on 1 November 2010, the project now sits with Auckland Council and its transport entity

Auckland Transport Auckland Transport (AT) is the council-controlled organisation (CCO) of Auckland Council responsible for transport projects and services. It was established by section 38 of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009, and operates under ...

. Penlink would be approximately 7 km long and connect

Whangaparaoa Peninsula The Whangaparaoa Peninsula is a suburban area about 25 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. It had 30,672 residents in 2013, many of them in the eponymous town of Whangaparaoa on its southern side. It is part of the Hibiscus Coast. ...

with

State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbere ...

at Redvale, effectively connecting the urban area of

Hibiscus Coast The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of making it the 11th most populous urban area in New Zealand, and the second most populous in the Auckland Re ...

and Bays, which runs from

Waiwera Waiwera is a small town in the north of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. Waiwera is 6 km north of Orewa, 6 km south-east of Puhoi, 23 km south-east of Warkworth and approximately 35 km from the Auckland City centre. The ...

south down the eastern coastline to

Campbells Bay Campbells Bay is a suburb of the North Shore located in Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb is currently under the local governance of the Auckland Council and is in the Albany ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of the city of ...

. The potential growth of the region is hampered by the Silverdale Motorway Interchange which is the traffic pinch point. Penlink addresses this and will include other modes such as public transport, walking and cycling. Initially proposed as a toll road, it was later envisaged that it would be paid for by a part of the income from a regional fuel tax; but in 2018 was again changed to the toll option. In 2020, it was announced that the New Zealand Government would fund the road through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme.

Status

* All the land has been designated and property purchased. * Auckland Council owns the project and ratepayers will be reimbursed all costs to date. * Penlink is funded through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, and managed by the

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (commonly known as Waka Kotahi, and abbreviated as NZTA) is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licensing, an ...

(formerly managed by

). * Construction began in late 2022, with the road projected to open from 2026.

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20130209023724/http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/improving-transport/penlink/Pages/default.aspx {{New Zealand motorway list Transport in Auckland Proposed roads in New Zealand