The 15.2km Huntly section has taken SH1 east of Huntly town, over lowlands and streams and the Taupiri Range when a 57m-deep cutting was created.
The Huntly section is part of the 102km Waikato Expressway, connecting Auckland with Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
When complete the Waikato Expressway will be the key strategic transport corridor for the Waikato region, connecting Auckland to the agricultural and business centres of Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The Expressway will improve economic growth and productivity through more efficient movement of people and freight.
The Waikato Expressway will be 102km in length running from the Bombay Hills to south of Cambridge. It will provide for two lanes of traffic in each direction divided by a central barrier with local roads and interchanges generally serviced by bridges and underpasses.