As someone who drives through the Dome Valley three to five times a week, I can honestly say it’s a drive I enjoy. The road winds through native bush, birdlife hums in the background, and when traffic is flowing smoothly, it’s a relaxing 80 km/h journey through one of the more scenic corridors between Warkworth and Wellsford. But change is on the horizon.

Geotechnical Drilling Completed - The first major milestone in the motorway extension project is complete. Geotechnical drilling crews have finished their work in the Dome Valley. These investigations, some reaching depths of 180 metres, were essential to understanding the terrain and laying the groundwork for the new road including the potential for a twin tunnel.

Logging Phase Begins - 600 Hectares to Be Cleared Next up: the forest is coming down. Approximately 600 hectares of bushland on the southwestern side of the Dome, between Hoeto and Falls Bridge, is scheduled for clearing. Forestry crews are being brought in, and the operation is expected to take up to 18 months. This part of the process will be hard to miss

.Logging Trucks and Increased Traffic - Log trucks will be exiting onto what is currently, the passing lane. If you’re familiar with the stretch between Hoeto and the Falls Bridge, you’ll know it’s a part of the road where visibility is decent, but where traffic already tends to bunch, especially during peak travel times. The logs themselves will be transported north to Marsden Point before heading offshore for milling in China (a story worth its own article one day).

So yes, the Dome Valley is going to get busier. Not forever, but definitely over the next year and a half.

Why It’s Changing This is, of course, part of the bigger picture: the much-discussed motorway extension north of Warkworth. Like other stretches already completed, it’s being built for good reason safety, capacity, and future growth.

The Dome has long been a concern for congestion and serious crashes. While I’ve always found it to be a generally good drive as long as no one is tailgating in a rush, the added pressure of heavy trucks and work crews will put the current road under strain.

Looking Ahead: So if you're like me and you enjoy that morning or evening drive through the Dome, soak it in over the next few months. The character of the route is about to shift. The road will be louder, heavier, and more industrial for a time. But eventually, it will also be safer, smoother, and better equipped to carry all of us into the future.

📍Maps and Further Information:

• NZTA Dome Valley Safety Project
• Greater Auckland: Motorway Consents

• Geotech phase ✅ completed
• Logging phase ⏳ starts now, lasting ~18 months
• Lane usage 🛻 logging trucks will use new passing lanes
• Location 🌲 between Hoeto & Falls Bridge
• Impacts 🚦 increased summer traffic and forestry activity
• Long-Term Solution 🛣 motorway is essential for safety and traffic management in a high-use work zone