Waterview Tunnel & Connection in Auckland, New Zealand

This video covers both New Zealand State Highway's 16 & 20 through the Waterview Tunnel & Waterview Connection, a combined $1.7 billion dollar project that built New Zealand's longest road tunnel, widened New Zealand State Highway 16 from 6 to 9 lanes, built a comprehensive set of sweeping flyovers to link together Highway's 16 & 20, and completed the final segment of the 48 kilometre Western Ring Route.

[@commentatorxyz5514]

I've visited Auckland last December and drove through this tunnel. Apart from the lack of striped lines and signage of "no-lane-change", it's just as awesome in real as it is in this video. Well made.

[@Freewayjim]

Really nice job of showcasing all that cool infrastructure, I’m sure that was a lot of fun to drive in person, enjoyed it!

[@kittymyers2006]

@Freewayjim Do you have any plans to go to Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, or Vanuatu?

[@Raviation12]

@@kittymyers2006 yeah

[@MarioAndBendyPlushShow]

@@kittymyers2006 Maybe?

[@MrMeehan1993]

So good my friend

[@kittymyers2006]

+FreewayJim: Most countries and territories on Earth drive on the right side, which leave rest 1/3 of them that drives on the left side. For example, in the United Kingdom and Australia, they drive on the left, but in the United States of America, they drive on the right.

[@commentatorxyz5514]

New Zealand is the most under-estimated paradise on the Earth! 100% pure, 100% organic, 100% loving, 100% beautiful and 100% adventurous!

[@exactly4615]

Auckland just needs a little touch ups then it will be a paradise

[@kittymyers2006]

FreewayBrent Intro 0:01 FreewayBrent Presenter For Video 0:08 Waterview Tunnel Project of Auckland 0:16 Western Auckland Causeway 1:32 NZ-16 South into Auckland, New Zealand 1:43 NZ-16 South to NZ-20 South, the Southwestern Auckland Motorway 2:34 End Credits 3:49

[@MrMeehan1993]

Yay 🙌 😅❤❤❤

[@guillyfreeways2007]

You're the best Brent, in all my favorite continents, North America, Oceania, way to go! We're still waiting for your first video from South Africa. My friend Larissa has a friend who's from South Africa, and I think he lives in Cape Town, which is one of the three capital cities of South Africa.

[@benmoussayoucef4699]

i can't keep watching this video every time again and again, amazing country, beutiful song

[@TheCloakedTiger]

Its really cool how these freeways seem to have a UK and a USA design mixed into them. Once this pandemic is over and I have some $$$ I want to travel the world seeing different freeways and rail systems all over...

[@adryantai9867]

NZ has incorporated highways from the US and UK

[@FreewayBrent]

I've only been to Auckland and as far south as Hamilton; next time I plan on getting down to Wellington. Auckland kind of has a Seattle vibe to the place; it's big enough to be a legit city but lowkey enough to be very walkable and human at scale. Love all of the unique districts too, and there's always a nice viewpoint wherever you go. The beaches just west of the city (Piha is my favorite) are pretty darn beautiful too.

[@masaatravelingprofessor9314]

It's fun to watch a view of highways. Thank you for your nice movie.

[@benmoussayoucef4699]

amazing song , amazing country, amazing roads, you are the best .keep going. youcef from algeria

[@Twobarpsi]

Keep On Truckin buddy! Glad to see you're still uploading.

[@FreewayBrent]

Thanks! It's been a very busy 9 months since my last upload. Finally glad I found some free time to put this together. I'm probably going to present something from Washington state next, but I still have enough footage for 3 more Auckland-area videos.

[@Twobarpsi]

FreewayBrent have you ever traveled the great lakes on the Northern Canadian side between Buffalo and Duluth? I love your videos of Southern California Southern Nevada Arizona Utah and New Mexico! Those are my favorite ones. I've had the chance to drive there on vacation and love those uploads.

[@FreewayBrent]

I have not. I have however driven through much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region (everything from Toronto to Hamilton to Mississauga and points in between, all the way out towards Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec). I've even been to Buffalo and have a couple of freeways there on film that I never got around to editing from my 2013 trip. One day, I'd like to get back to parts of the desert Southwest to refilm some stuff. Glad you've been enjoying the uploads over the years. Cheers!

[@Twobarpsi]

FreewayBrent Thanks for the reply. I patiently await any new footage from the Southwest!

[@eluko79]

Cool to see New Zealand again! Nice work Brent!

[@FreewayBrent]

Thanks dude! Looking forward to seeing more stuff from you soon.

[@antipgh]

@@FreewayBrent he wont

[@eluko-hw1bf]

Why

[@kevinseptiadi1248]

So glad you're back and congrats on your newborn son. Hope you make more videos in the future. Cheers, mate!

[@anditsme2891]

Ive noticed comments about signage and US similarities, yes and also Europe. To NZ's taste so to speak, In general all NZ's National Highways are designated Green directional signs regardless if motorway or not, and all other Local/Urban/Farm roads are Blue directional signs. This helps to know if you're on a Nat rd or local road.

[@thomasbaird8781]

If not for being on the other side of the freeway, I would have just assumed this was in the United States. So American like. Thanks for another great video.

[@kiwiinterstates3190]

Been waiting for this for too long. The waterview tunnel is a great road and hopefully I can film it next time I'm back in New Zealand

[@FreewayBrent]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@lhkeroads3632]

Made it in time IM EXCITED!!

[@FreewayBrent]

Thanks! By the way, are you from New Zealand? I see that New Zealand state highway shield as your profile image.

[@Dan_1022]

This is pretty cool. I like it, the ramps and the curves and the driving on the left seem fun, cool massive project specially for a country of 4.7 million people.

[@FreewayBrent]

Yeah...they definitely know how to build some great infrastructure projects. I'm hoping to film the Wellington Motorway in the next year, next time I fly out to Sydney. A California-like freeway but on an 8% grade. Thrilling!

[@dmihaesi]

Great work! Such a claustrophobic and dull tunnel!

[@JJAcrosstheUSA]

Simply amazing!

[@FreewayBrent]

Indeed...the Kiwi's don't have a ton of freeway infrastructure, but what they do have is pretty freakin' awesome, and even better that other than being on the other side of the road, it all looks and feels identical to being back in the US. Thanks for watching!

[@kittymyers2006]

You're the best Brent, in all my older son's favorite continents, North America, Oceania, way to go! I knew you've flown through Nadi Airport in the Fiji Islands a few times to transfer over to Sydney. But the next country you want to film the freeways of would be South Africa. South Africa would also involve left-hand traffic you know. Stay tuned for more Auckland and New Zealand videos coming in the future.

[@Andy-uz7ct]

Amazing Tour.

[@MKTTransportVideos]

Absolutely brilliant.

[@FreewayBrent]

Thanks!!

[@KrishnaDasLessons]

YOU ARE BACK!!!

[@FreewayBrent]

Feels good to be back, too. Stuff has been going on with my personal life (mostly good stuff), so I haven't had much time to edit my footage. Will try to do another video sometime in the next couple of months. Cheers!

[@KrishnaDasLessons]

FreewayBrent Cya next time.

[@nelsonlachappellejr9377]

Are you going to do a video on Nelson,New Zealand?I would like to see a video on Nelson, New Zealand.

[@vicreece8681]

As someone from the States, I see a lot of similarities between the States and New Zealand. Reminds me a lot of driving here, except for driving on the opposite side of each other

[@anditsme2891]

Great Vid and animations happy you liked the road as as I do too. When I have Friends/Family from overseas or out of auckland they seem to always say wow and bring out their phones for pics in two places, 1) sh1 Northshore to the City in your other video, and 2) from sh16 Te Atatu to the Waterview interchange, because of its views and motorway length/wideness, even more so now. I had to laugh to myself everytime they did that. Yes you take it for granted as use to the roads for so long and concentrate more on just getting from A to B as one does, but yes its good to remember when people bring it up or when we look at videos like this. Great Vid!

[@anditsme2891]

actually another popular area with comments and pics from my passengers was going through cmj on sh1 from newmarket viaduct to the harbour bridge

[@kittymyers2006]

And that's all for this video! More NZ and Polynesian road videos to come. As always, thanks for watching, and see you next time! Bye!

[@luvcarsgay]

Wonderful video!

[@johnberry8367]

The freeways down under must be getting good maintenance compared to the freeways in North America. Most of the freeways in North America looks old and run down while the freeways down under looks so new.

[@riordanparata5243]

John Berry that’s because most highways here have to be renovated to met the highway criteria

[@WayToManyAssassins]

This is quite a new piece of highway. Less than two years old now.

[@ninjapirate123]

This is probably the longest road tunnel in nz

[@MrSniperFromMars]

What an awesome freeway! That 3 level interchange is pretty sweet. I don’t like the 80 km/h speed limit or the odd merge at 3:02 though. Great presentation and song choice!

[@SleekDan97]

(MrSniper)+ From Mars! I read on the news that due to widespread public complaint, the roads around the tunnel have since been bumped to 100km/h. Much better!

[@MrSniperFromMars]

Sleek Supreme That’s great to hear! 100 definitely seems to fit much better!

[@kittymyers2006]

We're heading easterly on the Western Auckland Causeway. Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand. This is as part of the Waterview Connection NZ Project.

[@randomguy7624]

Nice video! Love FWB, FWJ, Socar boy, cp media, etc. you guys are cool af!

[@JabodetabekStreets]

Nice driving 👍i like it Greeting...

[@anditsme2891]

Oops my comments lol, but from Te atatu to Waterview is one of the oldest motorways in Auckland so deserved a nearly 70 year old major facelift after other upgrades. Not as old as the first in US, but weirdly it [and others] was built years before the first freeways in Australia and first motorways in the UK. Reasons incl the main Akl airport was out west [now airforce base] and was a main route to the North Shore as no Harbour Bridge then

[@kittymyers2006]

Welcome back to Auckland, New Zealand! In this video, we'll take a tour of the Waterview Connection Tunnel and the Western Auckland Causeway. Enjoy the video!

[@Lucidkiwi]

Epic video love your vibe :)

[@FreewayBrent]

Thank you! Did you happen to also watch my Auckland Harbour Bridge video, released back in September? That one has a bit more of an upbeat vibe, and the song artist is also from New Zealand.

[@danielbooth5310]

As a proud Westie, I was kind of bummed out when they changed the SH16 West designation to North. Seeing that WEST over the 16 shield, you knew you were heading home 🙂

[@tigerwesti1]

That is one super awesome video.

[@jgroenveld1268]

I hope you come back when they finish the widening of SH16 between Lincoln and Westgate. Oh and good news - NZTA has approved funding for the upgrade of connection between SH18 and SH1 between Umsworth Heights and Constellation! Hooray!

[@FreewayBrent]

I'm actually going to back in town twice next month from San Francisco. Going to Sydney for my son's first birthday, but I'll be doing a 10 hour layover on the way to Sydney, and then 48 hours on the way back home. I just need to get one more ramp on film...any one of the connections that takes me under the historic arched bridge at the Central Motorway Junction will do, so I can have all the footage I need for a Central Motorway Junction video. As for filming the newly widened section of SH 16, I have a song choice already picked out for a drive heading into the city, but given the song length, the video will probably start just before the section where the motorway widens from 6 to 8 lanes. Cheers!

[@jgroenveld1268]

Sorry I misread your message hence my edited message. Yeah the Grafton Bridge a beauty to view when you drive under it. I'm glad to hear you're coming back - hopefully the weather is a little warmer.

[@kittymyers2006]

We are now crossing the Waterview Connection Tunnel, completed and opened in summer 2017 after nearly 4 years of construction. This is now the longest road tunnel in New Zealand.

[@kittymyers2006]

We're now heading onto the Southwestern Auckland Motorway, back into the Waterview Connection Tunnel.

[@AnowarHossain-cy8tx]

Wow Beautiful

[@MarkDonnelly-j9v]

Hi I like your video

[@AJKPenguin]

What is the song's name, and who performed it? Solid choice for a track.

[@FreewayBrent]

Thanks man! For future reference, the closing credits scene (the last 18 seconds) has the song artist and title info listed. For this one, it's Anna of the North, and the song title is "Someone." Cheers.

[@AJKPenguin]

Excellent. Thank you sir and Godspeed on your great work!

[@mdavid1955]

The guide signs are nearly identical to the ones on US. interstate highways. (not counting Calif. )

[@FreewayBrent]

It's why I feel like I'm just driving in the US, but on the other side of the road, lol. Even the route shield markers are Caltrans' miner spades, but upside down.

[@jgroenveld1268]

Oh so that is what the California route shields are! I was curious what it was meant to represent. I thought it was a leaf of a tree unique to the state LOL So IO'm assuming the miner spades is something to do with the gold rush?

[@kittymyers2006]

We're still waiting for the first video from South Africa.

[@theisav]

Hey are these videos free to use ?

[@smarterheadpace676]

Really appreciate with project management it been like better not conjugted......

[@thestone30080]

The highway in New Zealand looks more beautiful than the crumble highways here in the US.

[@FreewayBrent]

Yeah, US 101 in my area (between San Jose and San Francisco) is in shambles along certain stretches. Pretty bad that I have to pick and choose which lanes to be in or when I need to change lanes, just to avoid the worst of the potholes or wide crevices that have formed in between lanes. Kiwi's pay insanely high fuel taxes, which helps to explain why their freeway pavement is in near-impeccable shape. I paid about the equivalent of over $7 a gallon when I filmed this in September.

[@gilsonrogeriolimaoliveira2807]

FreewayBrent I don't know the situation of the roads in the US, but it sure must be better than my country Brazil, and we pay nearly $6 a gallon, only to get pocketed by the high public functionaries, that lives better than most Arab sheiks

[@thestone30080]

Gilson Rogerio Lima Oliveira Dear god $6.00 a gallon for gas in Brazil, is that in Saõ Paulo or everywhere else.

[@gilsonrogeriolimaoliveira2807]

thestone30080 nearly everywhere in the country, with over half of it being taxes to pay for the privileges of the politicians, our roads surely are the worst in South America, and may very well be one of the worse of the world. Ironically, we are said to be net oil exporters, and we are the second largest ethanol producers in the world.

[@EpicThe112]

@@gilsonrogeriolimaoliveira2807 I agree and your sugar ethanol is more efficient than our Corn Ethanol since it has to be processed from a Corn Kernel to a 190 proof liquid with gasoline added at the plant.

[@kittymyers2006]

This is within Auckland's CBD. Sit back and enjoy the ride out of this tunnel to finish off this video!

[@coaster6777]

I would like to travel to New Zealand.

[@FreewayBrent]

I've only been to Auckland, and yet even just from touring around Auckland, the natural scenery is beautiful as heck. Great freeway driving city for sure. I can only imagine how blown away I'll be if I can ever get down to the south island, especially around Mt. Cook.

[@BSF111]

You'll love it here ^_^

[@schwenda3727]

@@FreewayBrent based on a few maps satellite scans ALONE, it looks like NZ in general is REALLY ramping up highway construction at the moment... like the literal couple miles of full motorway standard highway within the other major cities to the south seem to have begun being extended and/or bypassed as we speak...

[@kittymyers2006]

We'll now switch directions for a better view of this causeway.

[@runningcharizard8300]

Please do more NZ vids. I'm researching on the freeways of many countries. My favorite foreign system is probably the UK's system, and I'm just getting started on NZ. (I normally do my research via Wikipedia or Google Street View). If you don't have anymore NZ vids, do you have any Perth, Australia vids, I really want to see their freeways.

[@FreewayBrent]

Hey there! I do have one other Auckland-area freeway driving video, showcasing the ride along Southbound New Zealand State Highway 1, that also features the Auckland Harbour Bridge and Central Motorway Junction, one of the most ambitious and unique freeway-to-freeway interchanges ever constructed. As for Australia, all of my videos there are based in the Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane/Gold Coast regions.

[@thejoemeister]

What equipment do you use to film?

[@FreewayBrent]

I'm using an old school camcorder, lol. A Flip Ultra 3rd generation camcorder from 2011, but the image stabilization in those things is incredible...perhaps more important than image quality when doing a video like this. I mount it to a heavy-duty Manfrotto tripod and situate it on the passenger side floor.

[@thejoemeister]

Wow, thats amazing for a flip from 2011! thanks for the quick reply :)

[@thejoemeister]

Great video btw

[@thejoemeister]

Oh, another question. How do you get the signs for the roads? Do you editt them yourself or do you get them online?

[@FreewayBrent]

Thanks! Did you happen to also check out my Auckland Harbour Bridge video that I released back in September? That one has a bit of a quicker pace to it. As for the signage, it's a mixture of copying & pasting images (i.e. layering) and creating them from scratch.

[@pizzasubs]

if correct those signs with the 80's inside the circles are the speed limit, right, noticed that they sure installed enough of them all over the place there...LOL

[@FreewayBrent]

They are indeed variable speed limit signs; you may have missed it, but I posted a sign in the beginning of the video to identify the variable speed limit zones on both NZ State Hwy's 16 & 20 in the video. Before the widening to 9 lanes and tunnel projects were completed, the speed limit on NZ State Highway 16 was 100. Since the widened motorway features additional lanes and wider shoulders, there was a lot of public outcry about the unreasonably low 80 km/h limit, so the speed limit is now set to 100 km/h again. One could easily navigate that motorway at 110-120 km/h, but 100 seems to be the standard for motorway limits in NZ. As for the 80 km/h limit inside of the tunnel, no changes, and quite frankly, given the lack of shoulders, I'm okay with the 80 speed zone.

[@MrSniperFromMars]

FreewayBrent I know there’s a couple 110 zones in NZ, the rural motorway sections of Hwy’s 1 and 2. Totally agree that this could feature a 110 limit, but I bet traffic can get pretty heavy.

[@jgroenveld1268]

Hi Brent - the speed limits are being reviewed - from what I gathered the limits will go up to 100km/h later in the year.

[@TransCanadaPhil]

nice stuff, New Zealand has very "American" looking signage in a lot of ways.

[@garcjr]

I was about to say that. Who knows maybe the rest of the world may adopt similar looking signs.

[@jgroenveld1268]

Well New Zealand had completed their first motorway during the late 40s/early 50s and Europe was still rebuilding from the war. New Zealand looked to the US in particular California for motorway designs from bridges to our state highway signage. Our regulatory signage is mostly European based while our warning and advisory signage is American.

[@adryantai9867]

My country New Zealand share alot of traits and same influences btw

[@kittymyers2006]

Hi Brent, this is Guilly! You should film videos from the Fiji Islands. Oceania is a nice continent, and one of the two smallest of the world.

[@carhornsdashcamsandstopmot1600]

2:13, dat guy tho

[@ninjapirate123]

he looked back

[@liam_hectic3320]

Awesome to see another Auckland video. Do you have any more footage for other Auckland based videos?

[@FreewayBrent]

Thank you! I actually have enough footage for 3 more Auckland-based videos. The Central Motorway Junction gets its own special edition video, simply for being the most unique freeway-to-freeway interchange I've ever encountered.

[@liam_hectic3320]

Sweet!!! Looking forward to seeing them.

[@FreewayBrent]

Yeah, the Central Motorway Junction video will feature at least 4 of the connections through the interchange...probably 5 or even 6. I just haven't been able to find a song that has the right beat, "mood" and song length to complement how I want to showcase the footage. One of those things where once I hear it, I'll know it's the right choice.

[@angelaranda6245]

Cool

[@FreewayBrent]

Glad you enjoyed! Feel free to check out my other Auckland-area video, showcasing the ride along New Zealand State Highway 1 over the Auckland Harbour Bridge and into the CBD. Cheers!

[@dylanmajoos1861]

Great video! Please take a visit to South Africa. We have the best freeway system in AFRICA!

[@sudipta1502]

0:00 windows longhorn startup

[@HellsideBurnton]

Why in the world does new zealand road signs feel american Well american signs but in reverse

[@FreewayBrent]

Look up Wilbur Smith & Associates, a road engineering and design firm that was once based out of San Francisco. They had a lot of direct input in planning and designing the first motorways in New Zealand. They weren't the only American firm that influenced NZ's road designs. The country would largely incorporate the signage standards as well, and so today, driving in NZ is very similar or in many cases almost identical to driving in the US.

[@FreewayBrent]

@kąlsjzj I have enough footage for another 4 videos from Auckland, but I just need the time to put together the footage. One day.

[@Agent44996]

Wow absolutely fantastic! Very cool piece of infrastructure, however I must admit it isn't nearly as big as its trans-Tasman neighbor Sydney! Still very cool though!

[@FreewayBrent]

Yeah, Auckland has a very nice motorway network for a city (and country) with its population. They did a fantastic job with rebuilding the Causeway portion of the Northwestern Motorway (NZ Highway 16) as well to link up with this new tunnel. Great stuff.

[@newmanchester8504]

I wish the USA has nice infrastructure like New Zealand. That New Zealand motorway put Interstate Highways, dual carriageways (divided highways) and normal two-way traffic roads in the United States to shame. Roads in America will never be like the roads in New Zealand and some of the countries in Europe because money doesn't go to infrastructure. It goes to tax cuts for the wealthy, dumb wars, the military-industrial complex, the police and the prison industrial complex. I don't think Kiwis in New Zealand won't put up with this rubbish at all. I don't know. If a politician and people in his party in the New Zealand parliament push for USA things, they will get destroyed by the people and political journalist Tova O'Brien on the news. Well, I don't know. Just saying. Never been to New Zealand, so I be more and happy to take a trip/vacation (nice long holiday) to New Zealand and Australia. Nice video by the way.

[@ambriprayogi6737]

👍🛣️

[@tobywx9893]

The highway looks too much like highways in the US. The signs and road design look just like an interstate. The only difference is left side traffic down in NZ.

[@FreewayBrent]

Haha, yeah, that was actually part of the appeal of driving in Auckland for me. Going to another country on the other side of the world, yet driving on a freeway system that looks virtually identical to what I'd expect back in the US (I live just outside of San Francisco). Come to think of it, the scenery looks very San Francisco Bay Area-like, with a ring of low-lying mountains surrounding a major population center with inlets and the ocean within a stone's throw of the city.

[@adryantai9867]

Becoz NZ has similar taste to the US

[@finlayson]

@@FreewayBrent Next time you're in New Zealand, you should head down to Wellington. It looks even more like San Francisco. And there's a spectacular new motorway - called the Transmission Gully Motorway - under construction there. It should be finished sometime in early 2022.

[@DipperMabel-2025]

It looks like he’s playing a video game