Government commits $1.773 billion to extend Waikato Expressway to Piarere

Budget 2026 funding will build a 16-kilometre four-lane road connecting the current expressway terminus at Cambridge to the State Highway 1 and State Highway 29 junction.

The Government has committed $1.773 billion in Budget 2026 for the Cambridge to Piarere Road of National Significance, which will extend the Waikato Expressway. Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced the funding for the extension.

Route and design

The new road will be a four-lane, 16-kilometre route linking the present Waikato Expressway terminus to the SH1/SH29 junction at Piarere. The design features a grade-separated interchange in the vicinity of Karāpiro Road.

Economic modelling puts the benefit-cost ratio between 2.7 and 3.1. The route is projected to see deaths and serious injuries fall by around 70%.

Timeline and progress

Project consents were issued in September 2025. The NZTA Board gave approval for early works in December 2025, which are now in progress.

Regional context

The Cambridge to Piarere stretch of State Highway 1 serves as a route for freight and economic activity between Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty and the central and lower North Island.

The Golden Triangle region of Auckland, Waikato and Tauranga is home to more than half of New Zealand's population and accounts for around 60% of the country's gross domestic product.