Waka Kotahi NZTA has refuted 'false' claims that the agency is refusing to let people drive on the new Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway before Christmas despite it being ready for traffic.
ACT transport spokesperson Simon Court yesterday claimed that the contractors tasked with building the road, Fletcher Construction and Acciona, said the new route should have been opened on 12 December.
"It's understood the only thing holding up progress is some incomplete landscaping and drainage that won't affect the safe operation of the new road at all," Court said.
But Brett Gliddon, Waka Kotahi Acting Chief Executive, said today: "The road is not open yet for the simple reason that the contractor has not completed the physical works, and the required independent quality assurance and safety tests have not been carried out."
The road should be in a position to open during the second quarter of 2023, Waka Kotahi said.
Gliddon added that "Waka Kotahi wants to see Pūhoi to Warkworth open as soon as possible".
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