Contract Awarded for Penlink Project in North Auckland, New Zealand

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has appointed HEB Construction — a VINCI Construction subsidiary based in New Zealand, as part of the consortium formed with Fulton Hogan, Aurecon, Tonkin + Taylor — for the design and construction of the Penlink project in north Auckland.

The project will provide a vital connection in the region that will provide better, safer and more reliable transport options. The contract is an alliance type, creating an integrated team including the designer-constructor consortium and Waka Kotahi.

The NZD 510-million (€305-million) project will include the construction of a seven-kilometer, two-lane highway with a separate shared path for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as six bridges, including New Zealand’s first extradosed bridge¹.

The design and construction chosen methodologies will allow a reduction of up to 20% of carbon emissions compared to a traditional design. A lowered entrance to the 550-meter extradosed bridge will better fit with the landscape and enable 235 meters to be trimmed off the overall crossing, reducing the amount of steel and concrete required. The crossing was designed with a reduced number of piers in the Wēiti River from three to two to reduce the environmental impact.

The alliance has worked on improving the recycling of construction materials, utilizing renewable energy sources and harvesting rainwater.

The Penlink design was also developed to protect a wide range of flora and fauna through preliminary investigations, and continuous environment monitoring will be carried on until completion in late 2026.

¹ An extradosed bridge is a hybrid between balanced cantilever post-tensioned box guider and a cable-stay bridge. The bridge deck support is provided from both internal post-tensioning strands within the box girder and external cables, resulting in an overall more efficient design for medium- to long-span bridges.