Pūhoi to Warkworth

The Pūhoi to Warkworth project will extend the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) 18.5km from the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels to just north of Warkworth. It is the first stage of the Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance. By delivering a more efficient, resilient and safer connection between Puhoi and Warkworth, the new motorway will improve journey times (especially during peak holiday periods and weekends) and freight efficiency, driving regional economic growth. 

Under a PPP contract, the Northern Express Group (NX2) will finance, design, construct, manage and maintain the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway for 25 years following the expected five-year construction period.  After the 25 year period, NX2 will return the highway to the project’s client, the NZ Transport Agency. 

NX2 is made up of companies with considerable experience in the design, construction, finance, maintenance and management of key infrastructure projects in New Zealand and overseas. NX2’s equity investors are the Accident Compensation Corporation and Public Infrastructure Partners II LP (managed by Morrison & Co PIP Limited), ACCIONA Concesiones and Fletcher Building.

• The ACC maintains one of NZ’s largest investment funds in order to cover the full future costs of all accepted claims

• H.R.L. Morrison & Co is a specialist investment management firm and an active long term investor in PPPs 

• ACCIONA is one of the foremost Spanish business corporations, a leader in the development and management of infrastructure, renewable energy, water and services

• Fletcher Building Limited is Australasia's largest building materials manufacturer and distributor and is involved in residential and commercial construction

Alongside JV partner Acciona Infrastructure, we are subcontracted to design and construct the new motorway. It is aimed to have the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway open for traffic by late 2021.