When Ara Tūhono (the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway) opened in mid-2023, it was hailed as a game-changer. Three years on, the “sugar rush” of the opening has settled, and we can now see exactly how the motorway has reshaped the Rodney property market.
The short answer? It didn’t just shorten the drive; it reclassified our entire region.
Warkworth is no longer a “holiday stop”—it is a legitimate satellite suburb of Auckland. Here is what the “Motorway Effect” looks like in 2026.
The most immediate impact has been on who is buying.
The “45-Minute” Rule: With the speed limit increased to 110km/h in July 2025, the drive from Warkworth to the Harbour Bridge is now consistently under 50 minutes off-peak.
The Result: We are seeing a massive influx of “Hybrid Commuters”—professionals who work 3 days in the CBD and 2 days from home. They are trading a $1.5M townhouse in Hobsonville for a $1.3M lifestyle property here, banking the difference and gaining 4,000m² of land.
Not every suburb benefitted equally. The motorway has created distinct value tiers:
Impact: High.
The Trend: Values here have stabilised at a premium level. You are paying for the convenience of being 2 minutes from the on-ramp.
The “Convenience Premium”: Homes with easy access to the new Matakana Link Road are seeing the strongest demand, as they avoid the bottleneck of the Hill Street intersection entirely.
Impact: Speculative Growth.
The Trend: This is where the smart money is moving. With the Warkworth to Te Hana extension (bypassing Wellsford) currently in the detailed design/procurement phase and works expected to start late 2026, investors are buying here now.
Why? Once the Wellsford bypass is complete, the town will lose the heavy truck traffic and gain a “village” feel, similar to what happened in Pūhoi. Buying before that transformation is a proven strategy.
Impact: Accessibility = Usability.
The Trend: The motorway didn’t necessarily “spike” prices here (which were already high), but it increased liquidity.
The “Friday Factor”: It is now possible to leave the Auckland CBD at 4:00 pm and be on the boat at Omaha by 5:15 pm. This has made holiday homes here significantly more usable, keeping demand high even in a softer economy.
Everyone talks about houses, but the motorway’s biggest impact on property values is actually jobs.
The Food Basket: The improved freight connection has led to an explosion of commercial development in the North-West Warkworth Industrial Zone (off the new roundabout).
The Cycle: More local businesses = more local jobs = more families needing rentals and homes who don’t need to commute to Auckland. This internal economy puts a “floor” under property prices, protecting them from crashing even if the wider Auckland market dips.
The question on everyone’s lips is: When is the next bit happening?
The Project:Ara Tūhono – Warkworth to Te Hana.
The Status (2026): We are currently seeing the geotechnical rigs in the paddocks west of Wellsford. Construction is slated to begin shortly.
The Opportunity: For buyers priced out of Warkworth, looking at properties along the future Wayby Valley or Mangawhai Road interchanges offers a chance to get in before the next infrastructure leap.
If you are selling:
Don’t just sell the house; sell the drive. If you are in Warkworth, explicitly mention the “35 minutes to Albany” in your headline.
Highlight the “Link Road” access. If your property avoids Hill Street, shout it from the rooftops.
If you are buying:
Don’t wait for the Wellsford bypass. By the time the diggers officially start, the “speculation price” will already be added to the property value. The window to buy in Wellsford for under $750k is closing.
Curious how your property fits into this new map? Values have shifted significantly in the last 24 months. A 2023 RV is no longer an accurate guide.
Request an Updated Market Appraisal to see where your home sits in the post-motorway market.