By Jonathan Killick of 
The Puhoi to Warkworth motorway was planned to be finished in 2022, but successive Covid-19 lockdowns caused significant delays. Photo: Stuff / Jason Dorday
Auckland's highly anticipated $1 billion Puhoi to Warkworth motorway is set to open within weeks, but Waka Kotahi insists it still doesn't have a date.
But the locals seem to have some ideas.
Communities along the stretch of motorway in north Rodney have been abuzz with talk that the motorway will open on the weekend of 16-18 June.
A user of a popular local social media page declared they had heard from their "aunty's neighbour, who is an engineer on the project" that an opening ceremony had been pencilled in.
A well-placed source confirmed to Stuff there were indeed plans in place, but that they may or may not eventuate.
A Waka Kotahi spokesperson would not address the source nor accuracy of the community rumours when specifically questioned.
"Waka Kotahi does not have a confirmed opening date yet. We still believe NX2 will be in a position to open the road before the end of June," the spokesperson said.
They said "finishing works" and "safety and quality tasks" still had to be done before the motorway could be opened.
Auckland Transport, meanwhile, also claims to be in the dark on the official opening date.
It's been waiting to be able to open the Matakana Link Rd, which will allow motorists bound for Omaha Beach to bypass Warkworth's dreaded Hill St intersection.
"Waka Kotahi is leading this one and don't have a confirmed date yet. They will be in touch when they do," a spokesperson said.
The only thing confirmed for sure is that travellers heading north from Auckland for King's Birthday Weekend can anticipate congestion.
Photo: Supplied / Stuff
A detour will see northbound motorists leave State Highway 1 after Johnstones Hill Tunnel and detour along Puhoi Rd at 30km/h before rejoining the highway.
"Motorists are advised to expect long delays and allow additional time for their journeys or consider an alternate route, such as SH16 for travel north of Wellsford," the Transport Agency said in a statement.
The detour allows work crews to make the final preparations for connecting the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway to the existing state highway.
Simon Court Photo: RNZ
Construction began on the motorway in 2016, with an estimated opening date of 2022, but delays caused by the pandemic and resulting negotiations with contractors pushed completion to 2023.
Last year, Waka Kotahi responded to accusations from ACT party MP Simon Court that the motorway had been completed in 2022 and the Transport Agency had simply refused to open it.
The agency issued a statement saying "suggestions that Waka Kotahi is 'holding up' the road opening are entirely false".
The cost of the motorway has increased from $780 million to $1.05 billion. Transport Minister Michael Wood has previously announced it will not be tolled.
This story was first published by Stuff.
