O Mahurangi – Penlink Wēiti River crossing

Penlink, a new seven km-long road in North Auckland, which will significantly enhance connectivity to the Whangaparāoa Peninsula. Our design, thriving in a D&B tender, is an extradosed concrete bridge - the first of its kind in New Zealand- with distinctive V-shaped towers, a main span of 175m, and a total length of 540m.

The design aims to go beyond congestion relief and engineering compliance. It seeks to integrate harmoniously into the exceptional landscape by minimising the number of supports in the riverbed while maintaining an appropriate overall scale, with a clean geometry and visual integrity from all angles. The design combines a faceted language that reduces the visual mass of the towers and deck and improves the hydraulic performance of the supporting elements, with curves in specific locations that contribute to positive integration within the meandering watercourse. The bridge's seamless appearance resembles a large-scale carved object representing the local Maori culture emerging from the landscape.

The crossing offers separate paths for walking and cycling on the downstream side of the deck, providing breathtaking views of the river mouth and Rangitoto Island in the background.

Construction of the bridge began in late 2023.