National welcomes the opening of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway which is taking place this morning, National's Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says.

“The Waikato Expressway is a crucial regional connection that will serve New Zealand well into the future. The expressway is a prime example that New Zealand can build high-quality, safe and resilient roading infrastructure.

“The completed four lanes from the Bombay Hills to the south of Cambridge will reduce commuter travel times by 35 minutes with a speed limit of 110km/h across the 78km route.

“It was the last National Government that announced and funded this project as part of the Roads of National Significance programme.

“The Roads of National Significance has been a game-changer for New Zealand and the Waikato Region by opening up resilient, safe and efficient regional connections around New Zealand.

“Unfortunately, Labour gutted the funding of the State Highway budget in 2017 when they came to office. This means the next stage of the Waikato Expressway from Cambridge to Piarere has halted with no funding available under the National Land Transport Programme for this project over the next ten years.

“Infrastructure such as the Waikato Expressway is critical to growing our economy, boosting productivity and creating safer roads. National is immensely proud of what the Roads of National Significance programme has achieved and will continue to advocate for better regional connections throughout New Zealand.”

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