The New Zealand Transport Agency board has approved funding for the design and construction of the Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway.
The cost of the just over 15km stretch of road is about $450 million which will allow State Highway 1 to bypass the town of Huntly.
The section is part of the $2.4 billion, 102km four-lane expressway project linking Auckland with Cambridge.
Work is expected to start on the Huntly section in September next year.
Of the 10 sections that make up the expressway, six have been completed, two are in construction, one has work starting next year and one section is in the design stage.
The New Zealand Transport Agency said on Thursday the project remains on track to be fully completed by 2019.
Sections completed include Pokeno, Mercer, Te Rapa, Tamahere interchange, Ngruawahia, Ohinewai.
Sections still in construction are Rangiriri, Tamahere to Cambridge.
The Longswamp section will be started in 2015, while Hamilton is still in the design phase.