Hon Steven Joyce
Minister of Transport
Contract to build Waterview Connection signed
Transport Minister Steven Joyce has today welcomed the announcement of the winning contractor to construct the Waterview
Connection, part of the Western Ring Route and the last big piece of the puzzle in Auckland’s motorway network.
The NZ Transport Agency has awarded the contract to the Well-Connected consortium which includes New Zealand and
international companies: Fletcher Construction, McConnell Dowell Constructors, Obayashi Corporation, PB New Zealand,
Beca Infrastructure and Tonkin & Taylor. The consortium includes five sub-alliance partners and contractors: SICE, Wilson Tunnelling, Downer EDI Works,
Boffa Miskell and Warren and Mahoney. Well-Connected will now enter into an alliance with the NZTA to deliver the
project.
Mr Joyce says the $1.4 billion Waterview Connection will be the largest, most expensive and most complex roading project
ever built in New Zealand.
“This is an important milestone for the project and I look forward to construction beginning in November,” says Mr
Joyce.
Mr Joyce saluted the progress made at Waterview since the Western Ring Route was identified as one of the Government’s
seven Roads of National Significance just over two years ago.
“We have developed a much more cost effective solution than the previous government, while at the same time widening the
tunnels to be three lanes in each direction.”
“NZTA have also gone through the new, faster national consenting process, and by conducting the tender process in
parallel with that, they are now in the unheard of position of being able to begin construction two years after the
scope was finalised. That is a fantastic achievement.”
Mr Joyce said the Western Ring Route is essential to the continued growth and economic development of the Auckland
region.
"It will also contribute to better links for business and freight between key industrial hubs in the cities of Manukau,
Auckland, Waitakere and North Shore.”
The Western Ring Route will deliver significant time savings of 20 to 30 minutes between West Auckland and the airport
at peak time. This is a saving of more than 20% of the trip time. It will also lead to more modest savings, averaging
around five minutes, for trips between the CBD and airport, and from five to 15 minutes in the peak times between
Silverdale in the North and Manukau in the south on SH1.
Mr Joyce says he is expecting the Western Ring Route to be delivered on budget and on time, with construction starting
in November of this year and finishing in the 2015/16 financial year."
Together with the NZTA, Well-Connected will be responsible for constructing nearly 5 km of new motorway that includes
tunnels and interchanges that will connect the Southwestern Motorway (State Highway 20) at Mt Roskill with the
Northwestern Motorway (SH16) at Great North Road in Waterview.
ENDS