Matakana Link Road Route Down to Two Options

In May, a proposal for a new link road from Matakana that would bypass the infamous Hill Street intersection was presented to the public.

Four options of where this road would run were presented and after receiving feedback from the local public, two strong contenders emerged.

Option D was the most popular with 35% of the vote with Option A the second favourite at 28%.

Earmarked as a four lane road, connecting SH1 and Matakana Rd, both of these options create the least disruption to the Warkworth Showgrounds – home to the Mahurangi rugby club, hockey turfs and basketball courts.

Among the major concerns for the proposed 1.5km road raised by the public in May’s meeting were traffic, impact on ecological areas and disruption to the showgrounds.

The proposed routes run through farmland and cut through a future urban and a light industrial zone just north of the showgrounds. The public opted for routes which featured the fewest bridge crossings.

Experiencing rapid growth over the past 5 years and rapid future growth outlined in Auckland’s housing plan, the link road cannot come soon enough for frustrated locals.

Mike Bronkhorst, owner of local building company DuraBuild Construction Warkworth highlights how disruptive the recent traffic congestion around the Hill Street intersection has been to his business.

“With a crew of over 20 employees, many of our workers build in Omaha & Matakana. Throughout the day as we move from job sites, we constantly have to negotiate a heavily congested intersection in Warkworth”.

“What used to be an easy 10 minute journey has become up to a 50 minute journey in peak times”.

As housing development intensifies in the region, roading infrastructure has lagged behind, putting more pressure on an already infamous Hill Street intersection.

The Matakana link road is expected to cost $40 million, with construction set to start in 2018 and be completed prior to the opening of the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway extension in 2021.

The selected route will be revealed by Auckland Transport in October.