Warkworth’s Hill Street intersection, notorious for causing all sorts of traffic trouble, has been granted $4.7 million in funding from Auckland Transport towards upgrades to ease congestion and improve traffic flow in the area.

The funding was announced on June 24 as part of the revised Regional Land Transport Plan. Auckland Transport footed 25 per cent of the bill, and the other 75 per cent is expected to come from NZTA. 

NZTA will meet to confirm their portion of the funding in August of this year. 

If the funding is approved, the bulldozers could go in as soon as the Matakana Link Road and the new motorway open; they will provide an alternative to use while the Hill Street intersection is reconstructed.

The Hill Street intersection in Warkworth has been a bottleneck for locals and holidaymakers for decades. With its location on State Highway 1, it carries a large amount of traffic on a daily basis and is prone to delays. The intersection provides access to Warkworth town centre, Mahurangi peninsula and surrounding communities including Snells Beach, Matakana, Omaha and Leigh. 

The current plan is to turn the intersection at Hill Street into a five-arm roundabout, with a three-arm roundabout constructed at the Sandspit and Matakana Road intersection. Cycling and walking facilities have been included in preliminary designs.