The first pictures of Auckland's long-awaited Puhoi to Warkworth motorway's serpentine course over a rolling hill scenery have been shared on Facebook.

The road runs from the Johnstone Hill Tunnels to just north of Warkworth.

It is the first installment of Ara Tuhono, the project from Puhoi to Wellsford.

The 18.5km road, which was supposed to be finished in May 2022, is now expected to be finished between April and June.

"The road is not yet open for the simple reason that the contractor has not completed the physical works, and the required independent quality assurance and safety tests have not been carried out," Waka Kotahi acting chief executive Brett Gliddon said last month in a statement.

The project's price tag is an estimated $877.5 million, according to Waka Kotahi's website.