SH1 between Cambridge and Piarere is a key national route. The 16km, four-lane Cambridge–Piarere Expressway (a Road of National Significance) will improve safety, travel reliability, and support regional growth, linking the Waikato Expressway to the new SH1/SH29 roundabout at Piarere.
This project has been identified in the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS 2024) as a Road of National Significance.
Drop in anytime between 2pm and 6pm on Wednesday 19 November 2025 at Cambridge Town Hall to get the latest updates from NZTA on state highway and local transport projects between Cambridge and Piarere. Learn about planning for the Waikato Expressway extension, a Road of National Significance (RoNS) project, as well as the completed SH1/SH29 roundabout and other transport improvements in the area.
State Highway 1 (SH1) Cambridge to Piarere is a nationally strategic transport corridor for New Zealand, connecting the Auckland region to the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, and linking to the central and southern North Island.
The new expressway will improve journeys by reducing congestion, improving safety, improving travel time reliability and boosting the region’s economic growth. It will provide a more resilient roading network for this critical corridor.
The expressway will include a new interchange at Karāpiro Road. In addition to the interchange there are 4 other bridges – 3 over existing gullies and 1 overbridge providing access to a realigned local road at Tunakawa Road.
We are working on property acquisition and design, final costs and funding sources. We expect construction to start in late 2026/early 2027 subject to construction funding availability and take approximately 5–6 years. Consents were granted in 2025.
The case for the Cambridge to Piarere expressway was first identified in 2013 and work began on a programme business case, which was endorsed in 2015.
In 2021, the NZTA Board supported the recommendation.
Cambridge to Piarere - detailed business case [PDF, 14 MB]
CloseThe alignment for the proposed expressway broadly follows the existing SH1 from the end of the Waikato Expressway to Karāpiro Road. Near Karāpiro Road, the alignment moves north onto a new offline corridor that sits approximately 1km north of the existing SH1 and ends at the new roundabout at the intersection of SH1/SH29.
The key components proposed include (this is indicative and will be confirmed as part of detailed design:
This animated flythrough provides an overview of what the expressway might look like, and the path it will follow.
It starts at the Cambridge end of the Waikato Expressway, goes through the Karāpiro Interchange and into the offline section, before joining with the roundabout at the intersection of SH1 and SH29.
This is a concept visualisation and is subject to further changes and finalisation. Some elements, such as final landscaping, are still being designed and aren’t included in the flythrough.
Some businesses haven’t been included in this version of the flythrough. This doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be in their current location in the future, or in a different location. We are working with business owners on how the project might impact them and any future flythrough will be updated as these decisions are made.
SH1 Cambridge to Piarere concept design – October 2024
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As a Road of National Significance C2P is a priority for delivery as part of the 2024-27 National Land Transport Plan.
The indicative timeline for next stages of the project is:
* Subject to a range of supporting activities, including funding, permits, archaeological authorities designations, and completing property acquisition.
CloseDetailed design is underway for the expressway. This is where we start to finalise specific elements like:
As we work through this process, we are undertaking further site investigations. You may see our drilling rigs out and about but we’ll also be using more low-key equipment to complete this work. Some of these surveys will be carried out on private property, and we will be working with landowners to get their permission.
CloseIn September 2025 Notices of Requirement (NOR) and Resource Consents, subject to conditions, were granted by the Expert Consenting Panel (the Panel).
The Panel was appointed by the Chief Environment Court Judge as an independent decision-making body for the fast-track project. The project was processed under the Resource Management (Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Repeal and Interim Fast-track Consenting) Act 2023 (the Repeal Act). This provided an interim fast-track consenting process for some infrastructure projects, including roading, and is quicker than the standard RMA process.
Information on the EPA website
All information relating to the process is available on the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) website.
C2P has been identified in the 2024-27 NLTP and will be prioritised as a project in the Waikato region.
More information can be found in the NTLP regional table:
CloseNZTA will undertake a tolling assessment for the Cambridge to Piarere section of the Waikato Expressway, as is the case with all RoNS projects, which will look at a number of factors to determine whether it’s suitable for this project. Public consultation will inform any final decision on tolling.
More information on how tolling assessments work can be found here:
CloseNZTA, on behalf of Ngāti Koroki Kahukura and Ngāti Hauā, acknowledges that the original name for Piarere was Piiereere.
Piiereere means fissure or a crack in the earth’s surface.
In the past it was at the location of the SH1/29 roundabout that the course of the Waikato River changed.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and Waipā District and Matamata-Piako District Councils are working together on the future status of SH1 – preparing to change the status of the current SH1 from a state highway to a local. This process, known as revocation, transfers responsibility for the old state highway to local councils.
In 2021 and 2022 we engaged with the community about various projects underway between Cambridge and Piarere. This included the safety improvements currently underway, the expressway and options for walking and cycling.
Cambridge to Piarere engagement summary report [PDF, 12 MB]
Pedestrian and cycle access between Karāpiro School and Karāpiro Village (Hydro Road) is being considered as we work through the design process. Any walking and cycling elements will be confirmed once it's finalised.
The Expressway will provide a much safer route between the current end of the Waikato Expressway and SH29. Until the expressway is built, it’s important that the existing SH1 is as safe as possible.
A programme of safety improvements involving installing flexible median barriers and turnaround bays was undertaken between 2020 and 2024 with the aim of reducing deaths and serious injuries on this notoriously dangerous stretch of road.
The safety improvements included:
If you have any questions or comments, please email us at C2P@nzta.govt.nz (Please note this email address is only monitored during business hours).
You can also write to us at:
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
PO Box 973
Waikato Mail Centre
Hamilton 3240
New Zealand
Get the latest state highway travel information check the Journey Planner website:
Journey Planner(external link)
Report issues impacting travel call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).
