Matakana link road Matakana link road
We are working with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to improve transport connections between Matakana Road and State Highway 1 (SH1) to support the significant population growth expected in the area and to improve network resilience in Warkworth.
Project status: Construction
Project zone: North
Project overview
The Matakana link road project is a proposed new 1.35km road connecting Matakana Road and SH1.
The project will:
- facilitate the expected/planned growth of Warkworth and surrounding areas as identified in the Auckland Plan and related strategic transport documents
- improve the efficiency, resilience and safety of the local transport network including access to and from east coast settlements and beaches
- provide a transport corridor that contributes positively to a quality urban environment.
In general the new road will provide:
- up to four lanes of traffic
- walking provisions
- off road cycling facilities
- a new stream crossing
- urban design and landscaping elements to align with the anticipated development
- co-ordinated design approach with utilities to cater for planned land use development.
The project is currently progressing through detailed design, negotiating land requirements, and securing designations and consents.
Image: Proposed bridge on Matakana link road.
Construction
- Wharehine are establishing onsite and expected to have the project completed by early 2022.
Project Cost
- The project will cost $62.2 million to construct and this include costs associated with design, land and construction.
Concept design drawings
Consultation History
We asked for your feedback on a short list of 4 design options for the proposed Matakana link road. Find out the next steps in the project.
Each of the 4 options joins SH1 immediately north of the Warkworth Showgrounds. They all cross farmland (Future Urban Zone and light industrial areas) and bush before connecting with Matakana Road.
Significant Ecological Areas (SEA) and Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) covenanted land
An SEA is an area established to maintain indigenous biodiversity and is protected under the Resource Management Act 1991 while a QEII covenant helps private landowners in New Zealand to protect special natural and cultural features on their land.
Options A, B, and D avoid the SEA and QEII land while option C crosses the area at its northernmost point.
Overhead map showing the route options
Map showing intersection locations on Matakana Road
Map showing the view from SH1
Option A - yellow
- Does not encroach on Warkworth Showgrounds land.
- Connects at the intersection of Matakana Road and Clayden Road. Least desirable location for intersection because it would create an intersection of five roads in the future: Matakana Road (heading north), Matakana Road (heading south), SH1 link to Matakana Road, Clayden Road and potentially the future Matakana Road extension to Sandspit Road.
- Spans the area of bush near Matakana Road at its widest point. Avoids the Significant Ecological Area.
- Bush crossing my include a long bridge or two shorter bridges.
- All routes will be steep in places, particularly on the approach to Matakana Road.
- Encoaches most onto Future Urban Zone and light industrial land.
Option B - blue
- Encroaches on the northern edge of the Warkworth Showgrounds. A retaining wall may be required to maintain sports field and a pathway relocation.
- Connects with Matakana Road south of Clayden Road. Along with option D, the most desirable location for the intersection. It is positioned in an area with good visibility and may provide for direct connection for a future extension of the SH1 link to Matakana Road to Sandspit Road.
- Spans the area of bush near Matakana Road at a narrower point than option A. Will be close to the Significant Ecological Area.
- Bush crossing may include a bridge.
- All routes will be steep in places, particularly on the approach to Matakana Road.
- Offers least encroachment on Future Urban Zone and light industrial land than other options by traversing closest to the Warkworth Showgrounds.
Option C - green
- Does not encroach on the Warkworth Showgrounds land.
- Connects with Matakana Road south of Clayden Road and closest to Warkworth. This is the most southerly termination. It does not provide good potential for a direct connection to the future SH1 link to Matakana Road extension to Sandspit Road. This is because it is very steep to the east of Matakana Road at this location. Its location near a bend to the south does not provide for good visibility from the south compared with other options.
- Spans the area of bush near Matakana Road at its narrowest point. Crosses over the Significant Ecological Area.
- Bush crossing may include a bridge.
- All routes will be steep in places, particularly on the approach to Matakana Road.
- The route will encroach on more Future Urban Zone and light industrial land north of the showgrounds than option B but less than option A.
Option D - red
- Connects with Matakana Road south of Clayden Road. Along with option B, the most desirable location for the intersection. It is positioned in an area with good visibility and may provide for direct connection for future SH1 link to Matakana Road extension to Sandspit Road.
- Spans the area of bush near Matakana Road at a narrower point than option A. Will be close to the Significant Ecological Area.
- Bush crossing may include a bridge.
- All routes will be steep in places, particularly on the approach to Matakana Road.
- The route will encroach on more Future Urban Zone and light industrial land north of the showgrounds than option B but less than option A.
Public engagement
Public feedback on the 4 short-listed options for the Matakana link road was open from 26 April to 20 May 2017.
We received a total of 221 submissions.
Feedback themes
Themes identified in public feedback are aligned to a large degree with the success factors we identified for the Matakana link road.
- In terms of preference, Options D and A received the most support from the public: 35% and 28% of submissions respectively. Option B received 14% and Option C 8%.
- Protection of the showgrounds must be taken into account was expressed in 60 of the submissions received.
- Preservation of the bush, Significant Ecological Areas and QEII covenanted areas was expressed in 48 of the submissions received, with the options that had minimal disturbance in terms of ecological impact (Option A, B and D) preferred. A preference for as few bridge crossings as possible was favoured over multiple bridge crossings.
- A preference for the Matakana link road to link directly to the new Ara Tūhono Puhoi to Warkworth motorway was expressed in 39 of the submissions received.
- 23 submissions raised points regarding implications the Matakana link road will have for urban growth. 7 submitters believed the new Matakana link road did not take urban growth into account while 16 believe that it does.
- 32 submissions expressed that options which allowed for future access to the eastern beaches/ communities is preferred.
- Matakana link road should link at a location further north of Matakana Road was expressed by 12 submitters.
- Matakana link road should link with Clayden Road was expressed by 11 submitters.
- A need for efficient intersections to enable the flow of traffic was highlighted in 45 submissions. 27 expressed a preference for roundabouts, 15 for efficient intersections with no preferred intersection type and 3 for signalised intersections.
- 11 submissions expressed support for walking and cycling facilities to feature along the road.
Feedback report
Download the Matakana link road public feedback report (PDF 592KB)
Next steps
We are reviewing the project in an effort to identify value for money opportunities and ideally make the project more affordable. This review will be completed prior to progressing into the next phase of detailed design.
Background - long list of route options
We assessed 10 possible locations for the link road and discounted six as they did not meet these critical success factors:
- Does not pass through the Warkworth Showgrounds.
- Did not adversely affect the Significant Ecological Area (SEA) and the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust covenanted land.
- Does not depart from appropriate AT design standards.
- Enable future connectivity with wider proposed transport network (ie to future SH1 link to Matakana Road extension to Sandspit Road and the Warkworth Western Collector).
- Provides for safe intersections at both ends.
- Does not adversely affect performance of Ara Tūhono Puhoi to Warkworth motorway.
- Provide good access to developable Future Urban Zone and light industrial land in the area.
- Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Map showing the 10 route options
Option 1A and 1B evaluation - discounted
✓ Does not pass through the Warkworth Showgrounds.
✓ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✗ Provides for future network connectivity.
✓ Provides safe intersections at either end.
✗ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
✓ Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 2 evaluation
This option is included in the short list.
✓ Does not pass through the Warkworth Showgrounds.
✓ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✓ Does not provide for future network connectivity.
Further investigation required - Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
✓ Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 3 evaluation - discounted
✗ Does not pass through the Warkworth Showgrounds.
✓ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✗ Provides for future network connectivity.
Further investigation required - Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
Further investigation required - Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 4 evaluation - discounted
✗ Does not pass through the Warkworth Showgrounds.
✓ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✗ Provides for future network connectivity.
Further investigation required - Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
Further investigation required - Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 5 evaluation - discounted
✓ Does not pass through the showgrounds.
✓ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✗ Provides for future network connectivity.
✗ Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
✓ Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 6 evaluation - discounted
✗ Does not pass through the showgrounds.
✗ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✗ Provides for future network connectivity.
✓ Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
✗ Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 7 evaluation - discounted
✓ Does not pass through the showgrounds.
✓ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✗ Provides for future network connectivity.
✓ Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
✗ Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 8 evaluation
This option is included in the short list.
Further investigation required - Does not pass through the showgrounds.
✓ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✓ Provides for future network connectivity.
✓ Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
✓ Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 9 evaluation
This option is included in the short list.
✓ Does not pass through the showgrounds.
Further investigation required - Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✓ Provides for future network connectivity.
✓ Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
✓ Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
Route 10 evaluation
This option is included in the short list.
✓ Does not pass through the showgrounds.
✓ Does not pass through or over an QE2 Trust land or any Significant Ecological Areas.
✓ Does not significantly depart from the appropriate design standards.
✓ Provides for future network connectivity.
✓ Provides safe intersections at either end.
✓ Does not affect the performance of SH1 (Ara Tūhono).
✓ Provides access to the Future Urban Zone and the Light Industrial Zone.
Further investigation required - Must avoid or minimise any impact on known sites of interest to Mana Whenua.
