Check holiday traffic peak times to avoid headaches on Hawke's Bay roads

Speed restrictions are in place around the Mohaka Bridge on SH5 over the long weekend.

The long weekend may also see some long stretches of highway traffic on the main routes in and out of Hawke's Bay with the New Zealand Transport Agency issuing a "peak times" advisory.

For west-bound traffic heading toward the Bay on SH5 between Taupo and Napier the busiest time is expected to be on Monday between 10am and 4pm, with the 11am to 2.30pm period tagged as "heavy".

On Friday the peak time is likely to be between 8.30am and 12.30pm.

Friday between 2.30pm and 7pm is set to be the busiest time for eastbound traffic on that stretch, while the period of 2.30pm to 5pm is expected to be the heaviest for Bay-bound traffic on the Monday.

On SH2 between Napier and Dannevirke Friday between 4pm and 6.30pm will be busiest for north-bound traffic while south-bound traffic travelling between 11am and 5.30pm will find that the busiest time.

NZTA bases its figures on previous years' travel patterns, with traffic volume numbers collected from Te Pohue on SH5 and Norsewood on SH2.

Agency roading contractors are looking to complete resealing repair projects at several sites on the region's highways by the long weekend to reduce any potential disruption, highway journeys manager for Napier Oliver Postings said.

"We are heading into our main construction season," Mr Postings said.

That meant a series of preparation programmes which he said were likely to be wrapped up, weather permitting, before the long weekend.

Mr Postings said apart from bridge work on SH38 near Ohuka no roadworks were scheduled to be carried out on the region's main highways over the long weekend, although a speed restriction on the stretch leading to and across the Mohaka Bridge on SH5 remains in place as work is carried out on the inspection walkway handrails under the bridge.

"This is the walkway we use to inspect the bridge on a regular basis," Mr Postings said.

"While there may be a speed restriction over the bridge and you may not physically see anyone on site, we need to ensure that our workers are safe while working underneath the bridge deck."