The new Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway is cutting travel times in half and delivering significant improvements for freight, according to data from transportation analytics company Robinsight.
Robinsight gathered insights on the new motorway using data from EROAD telematics stemming from 13,000 trips.
The information shows a 51% reduction in travel times for northbound trips and 44% reduction for southbound trips.
The new motorway, which opened on June 19, exhibits an average travel time of 12.7 minutes, saving 12 mins per trip, according to the data.
Data indicates trucks over 12 tonnes save an average of 9.8 minutes per trip. Light vehicles reduce their trip time by an average of 11 minutes.
“Industries such as transport, postal and warehousing, general freight, and refrigerated haulage all show significant improvements in travel times,” Robinsight says.
“Travel on the Friday before a holiday has significantly improved compared to travel times on the old route.”
The data shows travel times dropping from 24.6 minutes on the Friday before Auckland Anniversary 2023 and 21.4 minutes on the Friday before Waitangi Day 2023 to 12.7 minutes on June 30, the end of school term 2.
“Steady speeds lead to efficient fuel usage and fewer emissions. Vehicles on the new motorway maintain more consistent speeds than the older route. Heavy vehicles’ speed consistency has increased by 11%, and light vehicles’ by 13%.
“Furthering the safety benefits of the new motorway, the data shows no harsh braking incidents among heavy vehicles since the opening of the motorway,” Robinsight says.
