A small section of the new Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway opened to traffic for the first time, with people travelling across Arawhiti ki Ōkahu (the viaduct over the Ōkahu Inlet) northbound from Hibiscus Coast Highway.

This is an exciting stage in our work to connect the new motorway to the existing State Highway 1 and is one of a series of significant road layout changes scheduled to take place in 2022.

On Friday 20 May, project partners Hōkai Nuku hosted a dawn blessing to make the pathway safe for road users and to honour the Iwi artwork that has been installed around the southern end of the project. The artworks are a visible reminder of the cultural footprint on a road of significance which reflect the history and values of mana whenua in this area.

With the new road layout change we ask that drivers keep to the temporary speed limit for the safety of our work crews and road users, drive to the conditions and do not be distracted by work activity.