Waikato Expressway

The Waikato Expressway is a dual carriageway section of State Highway 1 in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and forms part of the link between Auckland and Hamilton. Currently, the expressway is made up of two sections: the first beginning at the end of the Auckland Southern Motorway at the Bombay Hills and ending at Longswamp, and the second beginning at Rangiriri and ending at Ohinewai. These two sections are linked by a three lane section of State Highway 1 that will eventually be upgraded to four lanes and thus become a part of the expressway. Further extensions to the expressway are planned, and when completed, the expressway will form a 101.4 km long continuous four lane dual carriageway from the Bombay Hills to beyond the town of Cambridge, 24 kilometres south-east of Hamilton. When completed, Hamilton, as well as several other towns along the current route of State Highway 1 (such as Huntly, Ngaruawahia and Cambridge), will be completely bypassed by the expressway, allowing through traffic to move much more efficiently.