The Transport Agency has published the route it prefers for the Wellsford stretch of a new highway north of Auckland.
The road is part of a long-term plan for a four lane highway from Auckland to Whangarei.
The Transport Minister Simon Bridges said the proposed section from Warkworth to Wellsford would reduce travel times, avoid the winding Dome Valley and reduce crash rates by as much as 80 percent.
The chosen route travels west of Warkworth and east of both Wellsford and Te Hana, connecting back to State Highway 1 north of Mangawhai Road.
Mr Bridges said trucks and heavy vehicles would be diverted around townships reducing through-traffic by 90 percent.
The Transport Agency is holding a series of public information days on the planned route, starting next week.
