Final piece in Waikato Expressway jigsaw blessed and ready for motorists soon

The 22km Hamilton section is the final piece of the Waikato Expressway jigsaw. Photo / Peter Kirby

The Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway is ready to open for motorists this week after the official blessing took place on Tuesday.

The 22km section was the last piece of the Waikato Expressway jigsaw which totals 102km and is set to reduce travel times between Auckland and Tīrau by 35 minutes.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) regional manager Jo Wilton said the Waikato Expressway was one of the safest roads in the country.

"The Hamilton section will reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, reduce travel times and boost economic growth in the Waikato and beyond."

Running from Ngāruawāhia in the north to the existing Tamahere interchange south of Hamilton, the road connects Auckland with Waikato.

The official blessing on Tuesday morning was attended by about 250 guests, including local mayors, iwi and stakeholders, who joined Transport Minister Michael Wood and Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII to cut the ribbon on the biggest roading project in Waikato history.

Wood said the entire route is future-proofed for generations to come.

"This is one of the country's best roads.

"The opening of the Hamilton Section of the Waikato Expressway marks the final chapter of a 30-year roading project. It's terrific to see the last 22km piece of the expressway falling into place.

"This road connects Auckland to the agriculture and business centres of the Waikato and will improve economic growth and productivity in the region."

Kīngi Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII and Transport Minister Michael Wood cut the ribbon on the biggest roading project in Waikato history. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography

Hamilton East MP Jamie Strange said: "We are already seeing businesses such as Sleepyhead shift out of Auckland, while the Ruakura Superhub is also due to open soon which will benefit from the expressway's completion.

"The expressway will also ease congestion off Hamilton's local network with freight traffic now able to bypass the city, [because it] also opened at the same time as ... the Hamilton Ring Road which is another significant project to help road users travel more safely around our city."

Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said the Hamilton section of the Expressway was a "massive milestone" that makes a positive difference to Hamilton.

"Hamilton has a huge business focus. The expressway will speed up freight movement ... We have to be realistic: quite a lot of business movements take place on the road and time is money in freight."

Hamilton East MP Jamie Strange says the Expressway plays a part in unlocking the economic growth and productivity of the Waikato region. Photo / Jamie Strange MP

She said the expressway will reduce heavy freight being transported on internal Hamilton roads and free up space for people who have to travel through Hamilton.

"And people who like to go a bit faster will be pleased to know that the speed limit on this section will be 110km/h which also cuts down the journey."

Wilton said the increased speed limit was possible due to the expressway's modern design and safety features.

"The entire route is lined with central and side safety barriers, meaning safer journeys for generations to come."

After eight years at the helm of the project, Wilton said she's proud of the huge effort.

"Today is a milestone moment for Hamilton. Thanks to the ongoing leadership of Waikato-Tainui and including members from, Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Wairere and Ngāti Mahanga and local councils on the project. We couldn't have built this without your support."

The road traverses Hamilton's gully systems Mangaharakeke, Mangaone and Mangaonua gullies where NZTA has restored wildlife by putting in native plants and removing pests. In total, there have been over 860,000 plants on the project.

When the 22km section of the expressway opens to traffic shortly, road users will also be able to enjoy artworks by Māori artists, like the giant poro takataka at the Resolution interchange, a tribute to tangata whenua's ancestral connection to the land and aspirations for the future.

Work on the earlier sections of the expressway began in the 1990s in Tamahere and Pōkeno and continued with Ōhinewai and Mercer in the 2000s. In 2009 the remaining seven sections were funded for construction with Te Rapa (opened 2012), Ngāruawāhia (2013), Cambridge (2015), Rangiriri (2017), Longswamp (2020), Huntly (2020) and now Hamilton (2022).

The Waikato Expressway was funded though the National Land Transport Fund.