Penlink construction starts, but no decision on tolling until new year

Construction on the new Penlink highway has begun in north Auckland, but Transport Minister Michael Wood still can’t yet say whether the road will be tolled.

A spokesperson for the minister’s office said a decision was expected in the first quarter of 2023.

Wood will be making the decision off the back of cost increases, from $750 million to $830m including “contingencies”.

The long-awaited highway will link State Highway 1 with the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, bypassing Silverdale.

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When the construction contract was signed in June, Wood said he was “strongly considering” tolling the new road, citing public support for the idea.

Waka Kotahi has been quoting 90% public support for tolling of Penlink, based on a consultation done by the former Rodney District Council in 2016, but public opinion may well have changed.

Results of consultation done this year have not been released – despite the consultation period having closed in February.

A spokesperson for the minister’s office said the results had been withheld while “advice was circulated around ministers”.

Under the current proposal, motorists would pay up to $4 to use the new highway.

In a statement, Wood said that the start of construction had kicked off $3 billion worth of projects around the country, as part of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme.

“Penlink is more than just a road. It will provide safer and more sustainable transport choices, becoming a key public transport route while also promoting walking and cycling on a separated shared path.”

It is expected to be completed in 2026.

The road was gifted the name O Mahurangi by iwi partner Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust.