New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is forecasting a delay to the Wēiti River bridge component of the Penlink project.

Seeking comment from NZTA, the reason provided was the “complex design spanning a large open waterway.”

Although this new design has been seen regularly overseas, it is the first time it will be used in New Zealand.

The “extradosed bridge design” was selected for its span length and its carbon benefits.

This follows the previous Government Policy Statement on land transportation.

Kaity Alexander, NZTA Media Manager for Northland and Auckland, noted that the length of the delay is uncertain.

“We acknowledge that this delay will be disappointing to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula community, however, we can assure them that the team is working efficiently and is continuing to explore initiatives to improve the programme. We expect to have more certainty on the implications of this delay in the coming months.”

The report notes the likely time for this update will be in October.

Despite this, all other works are still forecasted for completion in the original period in late 2026.