Upper Harbour Corridor

The average vehicle journey between North Shore and Waitakere is likely to decrease by 10 minutes at peak periods (four minutes non-peak) once construction of a new four-lane Upper Harbour expressway in Auckland is completed. The expressway will provide an alternative route to the current SH18 along Hobsonville Road, which connects Waitakere City with North Shore City and passes through the developing residential areas of Greenhithe and Hobsonville. 

The Transfund New Zealand Board has approved funding for Transit New Zealand for two of three stages planned for the link. 

These are: 

• The construction of a second bridge across Auckland's Upper Harbour and widening of the existing causeway on the western side of the bridge ($36.76 million) 
• Five kilometres of four-lane expressway at Greenhithe eastwards from the bridge to bypass Upper Harbour Drive ($94.42 million). 

These stages are expected to be completed by early 2006. 

A third stage -a connection from the western end of the causeway to the Northwest Motorway (SH16) and an extension of the Northwest Motorway to Brigham Creek Road at Hobsonville is subject to a further funding application once land purchase and resource consent issues are resolved.  The project is likely to gain funding in the 2005/2006 financial year.

"The existing Upper Harbour Corridor is a 15 kilometre length of road through residential areas of the upper Waitemata Harbour with significant travel time delays," said Transfund Chairperson Michael Gross. 

"Once completed the new expressway will comprise 11.9 kilometres of four lane divided motorway with provision for developing future bus priority lanes on the shoulders. 

" As well as enjoying considerable travel time savings motorists will benefit from reduced vehicle operating costs. Given the quality of the new link, we can also expect a reduction in crashes of about 5 per cent. 

"This new Upper Harbour expressway is expected to alleviate severe traffic congestion on the route over the foreseeable future - it will also help provide an alternative route to State Highway 1 for north-south travel through the Auckland region. Strategically this project is a priority for the Auckland region, along with central motorway junction improvements already underway; and the planned extension of SH 20 at Manukau and Mt Roskill."