Mill Road Stage One Progress Announced
Transport Minister Chris Bishop has welcomed the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board’s endorsement of the investment case for Stage One of Mill Road, a crucial Road of National Significance.
The Board has endorsed the investment case and approved $91.1 million for completing the design work and securing consents on Stage One.
“South Auckland is the fastest growing area in the Auckland region, with 120,000 more people expected to make it their home over the next 30 years. We need to get on and deliver crucial transport infrastructure that supports that kind of growth, reduces congestion, improves safety, and helps unlock housing,” Mr Bishop says.
“Mill Road is one of 17 Roads of National Significance (RoNS) this Government is progressing, and the NZTA Board’s endorsement of the investment case and approval of design and consent funding for Stage 1 is a direct result of our focus to streamline the business case process and get projects into delivery faster.
The investment case for Mill Road Stage 1 (Manukau to Alfriston) includes:
“Delivering Mill Road Stage 1 has substantial benefits, including a 30 percent reduction in congestion on the corridor, over 60 percent reduction in deaths and serious injuries, and by 2031, 25 percent faster journey times.
“The endorsement of the investment case and approval of design and consent funding for Stage 1 provides certainty on the next steps as the project moves to complete the design and technical work necessary for construction to begin as early as mid-2026.
“In order to deliver benefits for the people, communities and businesses of South Auckland as soon as possible, NZTA are planning on dividing the construction of Stage 1 in different construction packages so they can start work sooner in places where there is more certainty around the existing environment.
“Mill Road Stage 1 covers a range of different environments, including sections that are highly urban, through to rural areas, as well as locations that require more technical assessments to determine the most appropriate design and construction methods.
“The plan is to focus on Stage 1b from Hollyford Drive to Hilltop Road, along with a piece of work to the south (Stage 1d), which includes roundabout improvements around the Mill Road Alfriston area. Stage 1a between State Highway 1 (SH1) and Hollyford Drive and Stage 1c from Hilltop Road to north of Alfriston will be delivered later.
“Mill Road has a long history, including a confirmed designation for Stage 1 obtained in 2016. NZTA is working at pace to build on earlier designs with a focus on improving the efficiency and resilience of the corridor, and increasing capacity to deliver faster, more reliable journey times. The project will also seek to obtain statutory approvals, likely via the Fast Track Approvals Act, and this will be confirmed in coming months.
“Technical work to secure the route protection and other approvals for future Stages 2 and 3 is scheduled to begin from mid-2026.
“The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS) also requires NZTA to consider tolling for all new RoNS. The investment case confirms tolling is possible and the revenue will support the construction and maintenance of the road. If tolled, Mill Road Stage 1 has a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 2.2, and un-tolled the BCR is 3.1. The Government will consider this recommendation and announce next steps of the process in due course.
“The investment case for Mill Road Stage 1 has shown it represents a strong case for investment delivering substantial benefits. Taking a staged approach to delivery and spreading investment over multiple National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) periods, helps focus delivery of priority benefits sooner, and delivers a strong pipeline of work for the construction sector into the future.
“NZTA recently opened a Registration of Interest (ROI) for the first package of technical works, which will help move Stage 1 closer to construction.
“South Auckland is the fastest growing area in the region, and we need to get on and deliver transport infrastructure that supports this growth. I want to thank local MPs Hon Judith Collins, Rima Nakhle and Hon Simeon Brown for their advocacy of this important project, and I know we all look forward to seeing more progress in the months and years ahead as Mill Road Stage 1 moves into construction as soon as possible.”
For more information about the project on the NZTA website here: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/south-auckland-projects/mill-road/
Notes to Editor:
Key features of the Stage 1 design include:
Project outcomes
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/progress-mill-road-stage-one