Waikato Expressway Huntly Section

Strong connections build a stronger Waikato

PROJECT: Waikato Expressway Huntly Section CONTRACTOR: Fulton Hogan CLIENT: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency VALUE: $350m

The $350m Huntly Section is part of the 102-kilometre Waikato Expressway connecting Auckland with Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

It takes traffic east of Huntly Township, up and over the Taupiri Range, and across lowlands to link with the completed Ngāruawāhia Section at Gordonton Road.

The client, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, awarded the works to Fulton Hogan and HEB who formed a collaborative Joint Venture, working together with design partners Opus and Jacobs, and design consultants Gaia Engineers and Bartley Consultants.

Construction started in October 2015. The works were completed 37 weeks ahead of schedule in March 2020 – a remarkable achievement given the unique topography, and ecology and cultural mitigation challenges working in the Maori King’s backyard and with his people Waikato-Tainui.

Strong partnerships were key to delivering this spectacular gateway through culturally significant Waikato country, recognised through pou and other artwork along the route.

This is a story not just about constructing a road that is safer, more reliable and more enjoyable. It is a story of shared learnings of past and present, of mutual respect, and of strong connections with WaikatoTainui, without which the Huntly Section would never have been constructed.