A new seven-kilometre highway that will connect the Whangaparāoa Peninsula to State Highway 1 has been confirmed to be a toll road, Transport Minister Michael Wood says.
Construction has already begun on the O Mahurangi - Penlink highway and is expected to be finished in late 2026. Wood said the road would cost $3 million a year to maintain and that it would "mostly serve specific communities".
"The road will mostly serve specific communities, and so the Government has decided the fairest option is for drivers who will use the road to contribute through its ongoing maintenance costs through tolls," he said in a media release.
"By using a tolling model, the community can be assured the road will be maintained to a high level as there will be guaranteed income that will only be used to maintain this road."
Consultation on tolling motorists on the road ran at the beginning of last year.
The project costs $830 million and will feature the country's first extradosed bridge.
The initial toll for a light vehicle that passes through both tolling points will be $3 during rush hour and $2 at other times. Heavy vehicles will pay double this rate, Wood said.
"This price is aligned with other toll roads in New Zealand," the transport minister said.
“Travel between four other access points on Penlink will remain untolled to ensure there is a free route for vehicles that have no alternative but to use Penlink."
He said tolls were reduced by 25% from what was initially proposed "to help address concerns that the toll rates were too high".
At its opening, Penlink is expected to reduce travel time to North Auckland by about 20 minutes during rush hour. The corridor is currently already congested at peak times.
"The road will not simply support the surrounding community through more lanes for cars, it will provide safer and more sustainable transport choices – becoming a key public transport route while also promoting walking and cycling on a separated shared path."
The roading project also includes a shared walking and cycling path.
A new bus station is also expected to be opened in Whangaparāoa, with rapid Northern Express bus services extended to use the new road.
Toll camera points will be installed at two locations, one near State Highway 1 and the other just east of the Weiti Bridge.
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