About Penlink
The Penlink Project proposes a second access route to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula through the provision of a direct link between the Whangaparaoa Peninsular (at Stanmore Bay) and the Northern Motorway (at Redvale)
The location of the route is shown in the diagram below.
The construction of this route will require the development of the following infrastructure:
The need for a second access route to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula has long been identified with plans to bridge the Weiti River near Stillwater drawn up as early as 1970.
Funding for this project has always been challenging and the current proposal is to build the road as a toll road by setting up a public private partnership.
What Penlink delivers
When completed, Penlink would reduce travel time between the Auckland CBD and the portion of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula east of Stanmore Bay. Travel time savings are illustrated in this diagram (see PDF 162KB).
The project will also relieve pressure on the Silverdale Interchange, Hibiscus Coast Highway and the section of Whangaparaoa Road west of Stanmore Bay. The change in traffic flows on these roads has been modelled and a summary of the projected traffic flows for 2011 and 2021 from the Toll Modelling Report are set out in the tables below.
Predicted 2011 Daily Flows with and without a tolled Penlink |
|---|
HBC west of Whangaparaoa Road |
42,000 |
35,100 |
|---|
| Whangaparaoa Rd east of HBC Highway |
29,900 |
23,600 |
|---|
* vehicles per day
Predicted 2021 Daily Flows with and without Penlink (Tolled)
| HBC west of Whangaparaoa Road |
42,100 |
36,300 |
|---|
| Whangaparaoa Rd east of HBC Highway |
33,500 |
26,600 |
|---|
Current status of the project
With the advent of the new Auckland Council, Penlink has now been transferred to Auckland Transport.
The project has all its designation and resource consents which have been renewed through to 2016. All properties affected through the designation (see PDF 1 MB) have also been purchased.
Right now Auckland Transport is assessing transport priorities for the region including Penlink. We are working closely with Government to construct an appropriate funding package and determine where Penlink sits in the Regional Land Transport Programme.
The total cost of the Penlink scheme is approximately $175M of which 29% will be funded through tolls, 12% through a combination of development contributions and rates and 59% from the National Land Transport Fund. The anticipated funding split is illustrated here (see PDF 104KB).
With the project dependent on NZTA for 59% of its funding and the high demand for funds nationally, previous efforts to secure NZTA funding have been unsuccessful. With increasing demands for funding and likely diminishing revenue for NZTA from traditional sources, securing a contribution will continue to be challenging. The demand for funding generated by current priorities elsewhere in the Auckland Region are also likely to continue to exceed the available funds Auckland will receive from the NZTA - making construction of Penlink over the next 3 years highly unlikely.
What are the immediate next steps?
An important consideration that impacts on Penlink’s priority status is the outcome of the Spatial Plan which is under review by Auckland Council. This plan will help us understand more about the impact of growth on the Hibiscus Coast and how infrastructure like Penlink can support growth.
The draft Spatial Plan will be released for consultation between August and November before it’s adopted later this year.
Auckland Transport is of the opinion that ultimately both Penlink and the 4 laning of Whangaparaoa Road are required to enable growth within the peninsula. With funding issues likely to delay the start of the project, Auckland Transport is looking at a revised implementation plan that better match available funding whilst still help relieve traffic congestion on Whangaparaoa Peninsula.
The 4-laning of Whangaparaoa Road between Hibiscus Coast Highway and Red Beach Rd is an option and this is programmed for construction over the 2012/13 season. This option is specifically aimed at improving the existing congestion on Hibiscus Coast Highway.
This lower cost option was reviewed during the 2010 and was found to be a feasible interim measure which would alleviate congestion on Hibiscus Coast Highway and Whangaparaoa Road.
Auckland Transport will also give consideration in its long term plan to four-lane Whangaparaoa Road from Vipond Rd to Arklow Lane as this will facilitate growth and provide congestion relief.
More Information
More information can be obtained by contacting the Auckland Transport team on penlink@aucklandtransport.govt.nz
A list of previous Penlink related documents are also available by clicking on the links below:
• 2009 – Penlink - The Project–The Story–The Benefits (see PDF 3 MB)
• November 2006 – Penlink Tolling Strategy - Summary (see PDF 949KB)