State Highway 1 (SH1) Cambridge to Piarere is a 16km long 4-lane expressway extending from the southern end of the Waikato Expressway and connecting to the new SH1/SH29 roundabout at Piarere.
Cambridge to Piarere is a nationally strategic transport corridor for New Zealand, connecting the Auckland region to the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, and linking to the central and southern North Island.
The new expressway will improve journeys by reducing congestion, improving safety, improving travel time reliability and boosting the region’s economic growth. It will provide a more resilient roading network for this critical corridor.
While the final design hasn’t been finalised, it is proposed that the expressway will include a new interchange at Karāpiro Road. In addition to the interchange there are 4 other bridges – 3 over existing gullies and 1 overbridge providing access to a realigned local road at Tunakawa Road.
We are working on consenting, property acquisition and design and we expect the first phase of construction to start in late 2026 and construction is expected to take approximately 6-7 years.
The case for the Cambridge to Piarere expressway was first identified in 2013 and work began on a programme business case, which was endorsed in 2015.
In 2021, the NZTA Board supported the recommendation.
Cambridge to Piarere - detailed business case [PDF, 14 MB]
CloseThe indicative alignment for the proposed expressway broadly follows the existing SH1, from the end of the Waikato Expressway to Karāpiro Road. Near Karāpiro Road, the alignment deviates onto a new offline corridor that sits approximately 1km north of the existing SH1 and ends at the SH1/SH29 intersection.
The key components being proposed – this is indicative and will be finalised as part of detailed design:
This animated flythrough provides an overview of what the expressway might look like, and the path it will follow.
It starts at the Cambridge end of the Waikato Expressway, goes through the Karāpiro Interchange and into the offline section, before joining with the roundabout at the intersection of SH1 and SH29.
This is a concept visualisation and is subject to further changes and finalisation. Some elements, such as final landscaping, are still being designed and aren’t included in the flythrough.
Some businesses haven’t been included in this version of the flythrough. This doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be in their current location in the future, or in a different location. We are working with business owners on how the project might impact them and any future flythrough will be updated as these decisions are made.
SH1 Cambridge to Piarere concept design – October 2024
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The Cambridge to Piarere expressway (C2P) project has been confirmed as a Road of National Significance and a priority for delivery as part of the 2024-27 National Land Transport Plan.
The indicative timeline for next stages of the project is:
* Subject to a range of supporting activities, including funding, consents, permits, archaeological authorities and designations, and completing property acquisition.
CloseDetailed design is underway for part of the expressway. This is where we start to finalise specific elements like:
As we work through this process, we may need to undertake further site investigations. You may see our drilling rigs out and about but we’ll also be using more low-key equipment to complete this work. Some of these surveys will be carried out on private property, and we will be working with landowners to get their permission.
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In early December 2024 NZTA finalised the Notices of Requirement (NOR) and Resource Consent applications and lodged these with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
The consents were lodged under the Resource Management (Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Repeal and Interim Fast-track Consenting) Act 2023 (the Repeal Act). This provides a fast-track consenting process for some infrastructure projects, including roading, and is quicker than the standard RMA process.
Below is a summary of the process from here.
Submit application
Our NORs and consent applications were lodged with the EPA on 5 December 2024.
The information that we provide the EPA, including our consent and NOR documentation can be found on the EPA website:
EPA fast-track consenting - SH1 Cambridge to Piarere(external link)(external link)
Next steps
The Chief Environment Court Judge, assisted by the EPA, has appointed an expert consenting Panel.
This process is now in the hands of the Panel, who will determine when submissions are called for, and who they invite to submit (more information below).
Submissions
Unlike a traditional RMA process, under the Repeal Act there is a defined list of people and organisations who can make a submission on a substantive application.
Invited persons can then lodge submissions – within 20 working days of being invited to do so.
At any time before making its decision, the Panel can:
The Panel decides whether to hold a hearing – but there is no requirement to do so.
Timeframes for decisions
The Panel makes its decision:
Overall, we estimate that this process will take 5-7 months. We’ll provide regular updates to our project landowners and neighbours and here on this C2P webpage as we have further information.
Information on the EPA website
The EPA website contains information on the process.
C2P has been identified in the 2024-27 NLTP and will be prioritised as a project in the Waikato region.
More information can be found in the NTLP regional table:
CloseThe Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS) introduces a new expectation that NZTA Waka Kotahi assesses all new state highways and significant upgrades to existing state highways for tolling suitability. Revenue from tolling can provide another funding option for building, maintenance and operations of road infrastructure, reducing reliance on the National Land Transport Fund and protecting existing funding for other investment in the transport system.
We will undertake a tolling assessment that will look at a number of different factors to determine if it’s suitable for the expressway. This includes how a toll would impact other parts of the state highway network, how much it would cost to install the tolling infrastructure, whether a toll would impact the overall benefits of the project.
If the assessment indicates that a toll is suitable for C2P, we will run public consultation in 2025. All submissions and feedback will be used to inform the final recommendation to the Minister of Transport on whether to progress a toll.
More information on how tolling assessments work can be found here:
CloseNZTA, on behalf of Ngāti Koroki Kahukura and Ngāti Hauā, acknowledges that the original name for Piarere was Piiereere.
Piiereere means fissure or a crack in the earth’s surface.
In the past it was at the location of the SH1/29 roundabout that the course of the Waikato river changed.
In 2021 and 2022 we engaged with the community about various projects underway between Cambridge and Piarere. This included the safety improvements currently underway, the expressway and options for walking and cycling.
Cambridge to Piarere engagement summary report [PDF, 12 MB]
We are still working through the design of the expressway and any walking and cycling elements will be confirmed once it's finalised.
The expressway will provide a much safer route between the end of the Waikato Expressway and SH29. Until the expressway is built, it’s important that the existing State Highway 1 is as safe as possible.
A programme of safety improvements involving flexible median barriers and turnaround bays is now complete.
The project began in 2020, with the aim of reducing deaths and serious injuries on this notoriously dangerous stretch of road.
Stage 1 was completed in December 2020, with 2.5km of flexible median safety barrier installed from south of Fergusson Gully Road.
Stage 2 followed, with the installation of 5.2km of flexible median barrier from an unnamed reserve halfway between Keeley and Moana Roa reserves, to 1km north of Maungatautari Road towards Piarere. The remaining 2.5km of flexible median barrier from Keeley's Reserve through to just past Kentucky Road was completed in June this year.
August 2024 saw the completion of Stage 3, which included 7.9km of flexible median barrier in sections from the end of the Waikato Expressway through to Fergusson Gully Road. This stage also included the construction of 5 turnaround bays.
Other information
If you have any questions or comments, please email us at C2P@nzta.govt.nz (Please note this email address is only monitored during business hours).
You can also write to us at:
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
PO Box 973
Waikato Mail Centre
Hamilton 3240
New Zealand
Get the latest state highway travel information check the Journey Planner website:
Journey Planner(external link)
Report issues impacting travel call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).
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