Newly released photos of the long-awaited Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway have been released, showing the near-complete road.
The first part of Ara Tūhono, the Pūhoi to Warkworth project, was meant to be completed by May 2022. It's now expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year.
The project's price tag is an estimated $877.5 million, according to Waka Kotahi's website.
"The road is not open yet for the simple reason that the physical works have not been completed by the contractor, and the required independent quality assurance and safety tests have not been carried out," Waka Kotahi acting chief executive Brett Gliddon said in a statement last month.
"Waka Kotahi wants to see Pūhoi to Warkworth open as soon as possible. Under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract for this project, the timing of the road opening is decided by the Northern Express Group (NX2), the private consortium which is responsible for the finance, design, construction, management and maintenance of the motorway.
"The road can only open after all of the contractually agreed safety and quality assurance requirements have been met. Building a road that meets these tests is the responsibility of NX2 and its subcontractor, Fletcher/Acciona Joint Venture."
The section of motorway runs from the Johnstone Hill Tunnels to just north of Warkworth.
Photos of the motorway show the winding path between a landscape of rolling hills.
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