Reduced travel times between Te Kauwhata and Hamilton are a reality

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has confirmed the 15 km Huntly section of the seven-section Waikato Expressway project is now open. The route takes SH1 east of Huntly across lowlands and over the Taupiri Range, eliminating the congestion point through Huntly.

After a grand opening with the community and key stakeholders on Friday 14th February, followed by the Expressway Classic half-marathon on Saturday 15th February, the final touches have now been completed with the section open to traffic from 9th March 2020.

The Waikato Expressway will deliver a four-lane highway from the Bombay Hills to the south of Cambridge once completed, improving safety and reducing travel times and congestion on SH1. The final 22km Hamilton section is now all that remains. The Hamilton section commences at the Lake Road junction with the Ngāruawāhia section in the north. It then runs south, to the east of Hamilton, connecting to the existing Tamahere interchange deviation just south of Hillcrest. By the end of 2021, this last piece of the 102km Waikato Expressway will be finished.

For Lakeside residents, the travel between Hamilton and South Waikato will improve with safer roads and reduced travel times.  The Lakeside team looks forward to testing the bypass out and reporting on new travel times.

View the preopening Huntly bypass flyover here

Lakeside team

Media Relations
Sonya Fynmore
+64 21 404 206
Sonya.fynmore@winton.nz