A major North Island road once mocked as a "holiday highway" by members of the Labour Party has been opened by the Labour Prime Minister.
Chris Hipkins has now said it was "wrong" to have given that moniker to the stretch of road his Government is now calling a "strategic piece of infrastructure" that will deliver "a safer, more resilient and reliable route".
The 18.5km, roughly $880 million Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway was officially opened by Hipkins on Friday. The public can't yet drive on it, but the Government said that will be allowed very soon.
"Safe and reliable transport links between Auckland and Northland are essential for commuters and business alike, and this motorway goes a long way to securing that," Hipkins said.
"The recent extreme weather events have highlighted how fragile the Auckland to Northland transport corridor can be, so this is a major step forward in ensuring a reliable connection to the North."
He called the route "vital for the economy" and it would provide "consistent and reliable travel and better access to markets in Northland" and beyond.
More than 35,000 vehicles are expected to travel on the motorway every day, including 1300 trucks. It will save commuters several minutes in travel time, Hipkins said.
"This is an exciting day for local communities, Northland and the upper North Island," said Hipkins.
"The completion of such a strategic piece of infrastructure is part of our infrastructure plan to ensure our communities prosper and we are more resilient in the face of climate change and extreme weather."
Construction on the road began in 2016 as a partnership between Waka Kotahi and the Northern Express Group. It was expected to be completed by the summer of 2021/22 but was delayed due to COVID-19.
The project was one of the Roads of National Significance announced by former Transport Minister Steven Joyce after National took office.
Members of the Labour Opposition often referred to it as a "holiday highway". The party promised to scrap it in 2011 and put the money towards other infrastructure, like Auckland's city rail link.
"Steven Joyce is asking Wgtn ratepayers to pay more for Wgtn rail upgrade while he spends 15 times as much on his 'holiday highway," Hipkins tweeted in 2011.
Labour's Phil Twyford repeatedly called it the "holiday highway" in Parliament.
He said this of the National Government in 2011: "By refusing to support Auckland's plans and aspirations for a modern public transport system, by refusing to stump up with its share of the funding needed for the city rail link in Auckland, and by insisting on going ahead with the discredited Pūhoi to Wellsford 'Holiday Highway', this Government is making the country more and more dependent on imported oil."
The Labour Party tweeted in 2011 that the road was a "holiday highway".
Hipkins on Friday admitted it was "wrong" to use that label.
"I don't think the criticism that all of the funding was being directed into Roads of National Significance and away from maintenance and away from local roads was wrong.
"I think the criticism was still valid and we still see long-term effects of that now and the number of potholes we've got in our roads and the maintenance that just wasn't done during that period when all the funding was being diverted to Roads of National Significance.
He said it was important for the Government to both invest in new roads and ensure existing roads are being maintained.
National's transport spokesperson Simeon Brown welcomed the opening.
"The Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway is crucial for commuters in both Auckland and Northland. This new motorway will reduce travel times by thousands of hours collectively each day, avoid protracted bottlenecks around Warkworth, and improve resilience in the transport network.
"With the floods and slips seen on State Highway 1 north of Pūhoi earlier this year, Aucklanders and Northlanders witnessed first-hand how important it is that we invest in building additional roading infrastructure."
