$1.77 billion Waikato Expressway funding to transform region

Monday, 1 June 2026

The SH1 Cambridge to Piarere extension will create an unprecedented level of economic growth, according to Government leaders.

The near $1.8 billion dollar funding for the Waikato Expressway’s Cambridge to Piarere extension has left local and central government alike ecstatic.

Cambridge MP and Tourism and Hospitality minister Louise Upston said the news has been a long time coming, reminiscing on when she “lobbied hard” to get ministers and colleague alike to understand the economic importance.

“I know how gutting it was back in 2018 when it was cancelled and so to have that certainty now is really important… the Government recognises the economic opportunity of our neck of the woods and really the opportunity for a Government that’s focussed on economic growth.”

Tourism Minister Louise Upston said she has strong ties to the expressway extension

“Over the moon” was the phrase used by Waipā District Council mayor Mike Pettit.

Waipā District Council mayor Mike Pettit said the expressway will benefit all of New Zealand let alone the Waikato and Waipā.

'From the Government it's showing confidence in the Waikato's role in the New Zealand economy. If you can shift freight effectively it's good for everyone's gross domestic product, whether that's Waipā’s, Waikato's or New Zealand's.'

'They've looked at that whole golden triangle thing between Auckland, the Waikato and Tauranga, and as we all know, it's a really important freight route… this just reaffirms that.'

Transport minister Chris Bishop said the extension will be a ‘critical freight and economic link’.

In the Budget announcement, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the extension will reduce deaths and serious injuries by up to 70%.

“This project has been talked about for years. Now we’re getting on with it,” he added.

“The Waikato Expressway has already delivered huge benefits for the region, improving safety, reducing congestion, increasing reliability, and supporting economic growth across the upper North Island.”

Hautapu is set to profit massively off of the extension.

Other political players in the Waikato have already praised the funding. Waikato MP Tim van de Molen previously told the Waikato Times the extension will have a “substantial impact” on the region, and Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good described it as “long overdue”.

Pettit also pointed to how the extension will provide better safety for users, referring to the high number of accidents and fatalities on the current road.

'It's always been a dangerous piece of road and obviously as a freight corridor it'll give a consistent piece of road network that really now goes from Piarere all the way almost to Warkworth.'

Industrial-heavy township Hautapu is one of the big winners after Thursday’s Budget announcement as it’s already seeing unprecedented levels of growth.

It reflects how 60% of New Zealand’s GDP comes from the ‘golden triangle’ between Auckland, Waikato and Tauranga, with the growth surprising even minister Upston.

“It wouldn’t have happened without the Waikato Expressway and if I’m honest that’s the piece that surprised me the most, was just how rapid that development was and the size and scale of it,“ she said.

'You look at a business like Mainfreight, you know, they haven't just arrived right alongside the expressway just for giggles, [it's] because of the connectivity to State Highway 1,“ Pettit added.

Pettit said he’d like to see contracts signed before the election and construction kicking off this side of Christmas, as in his words, the project 'really should have been taking place eight years ago'.

Upston says the overarching goal is to have a four lane system stretching from Auckland to Tauranga. However, there are no immediate plans for that extension.

“You make significant steps like this, then just as we did with the Waikato Expressway in sections, this will be similar.

The move has also been welcomed by AA, which pushed for the extension on the basis of substantial drops in serious and fatal crashes when the expressway pushed into other areas.

“This funding commitment will help deliver those same benefits on one of the most critical and dangerous parts of SH1,” AA Waikato District Council chairperson Steve Cantwell said.

The project will complete a vital missing link on a major corridor for moving both people and goods, AA Waikato District Council chairperson Steve Cantwell said.

“The Cambridge to Piarere section of SH1 has been recognised as one of the most dangerous highway corridors in the country.

“This stretch is an extremely important link not only for Waikato, but for New Zealand’s wider roading network. Upgrading it to expressway standards will make a huge difference for both safety and reliability.”