Speed Limit on Auckland Northern Motorway Rises to 110km/h, Excluding a Persistent 80km/h Zone with No Plans for Modification
The Ara Tuhono Puhoi-Warkworth motorway, north of Auckland, has seen a change in speed limit from the Pūhoi interchange viaduct to south of the Warkworth roundabout, with the speed limit now set at 110km/h. However, this change does not apply to the Johnstones Hill Tunnels or the transition zone surrounding them.
Late last year, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) publicly consulted on increasing the speed limit from north of the Puhoi interchange viaduct to south of the Warkworth roundabout. The proposal received overwhelming support, with 94% in favour and 91% strongly in favour of the speed limit increase.
More than 7900 submissions were received across Northland and Auckland in response to the speed limit increase proposal. The speed limit change on the section between Orewa and the Johnstones Hill Tunnels was implemented in May, as previously stated. Another 5.5km section further south, from Orewa to the Johnstones Hill Tunnels, already has a speed limit of 110km/h as of May.
The speed limit change on the section between the Pūhoi interchange viaduct and south of the Warkworth roundabout was announced in a government media release. The Transport Minister, Bishop, stated that the new higher speed will help ensure people and freight can get to where they need to go, quickly and safely.
The Johnstones Hill Tunnels, Orewa to the Johnstones Hill Tunnels, and the 100km/h transition zone north of the Johnstones Hill Tunnels to the Puhoi viaduct maintain their respective speed limits as previously stated. The transition zone from the Puhoi viaduct to the Johnstones Hill Tunnels does not meet safety criteria for an increased speed.
The Johnstones Hill Tunnels are built to high safety standards, but the enclosed environment within a tunnel creates a different safety risk compared to the surrounding motorway. The transition zone is an area of weaving movements, with traffic diverging and merging, exiting and egressing on short, narrow on and off ramps, and has narrow lines of sight over the viaducts.
Over 20,000 vehicles travel on the Ara Tuhono Puhoi-Warkworth motorway daily. The NZTA is the authority that imposed the 110 km/h speed limit on the Ara Tuhono Puhoi-Warkworth motorway north of Auckland. The speed limit of the bit in the middle of the two higher-speed sections (the Johnstones Hill Tunnels) has no current plans to be changed.
The speed limit change from 110km/h to the new higher speed has not been specified in the provided information. The Transport Minister, Bishop, has not yet announced when or if the speed limit in the Johnstones Hill Tunnels will be increased. The NZTA will continue to monitor the safety of the motorway and make decisions based on data and safety considerations.
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