Auckland Harbour Bridge: Increase in breakdown assistance jobs for those stuck in traffic

Gridlock on Auckland's motorways attributed to lane closures on the harbour bridge appears to have been too much for some vehicles to handle.

There has been a slight increase in road service callouts in recent days at or near the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the AA reported.

"These have been for a mix of standard job types," general manager of roadside solutions Bashir Khan said.

"The callouts are all treated with urgency and we are working with NZ Police and Auckland Transport to ensure they are managed safely."

The AA will provide emergency callout assistance to any motorist whether they are a member or not, Khan said.

A strong gust of wind which tipped over a truck last Friday damaged one of the bridge's struts, forcing the closure of several lanes.

The lower half of the damaged strut has been replaced with a section of freshly fabricated steel. Photo / Supplied

Just two lanes in either direction were open, however, work overnight Tuesday helped fast track repairs, albeit temporarily.

The lower half of the damaged strut has been replaced with a section of freshly fabricated steel.

The temporary fix comes after efforts by specialist bridge engineers and fabricators to assess the damage, design the new strut, calculate and plan the repair as well as manufacture the strut itself.

The overnight fix has resulted in three lanes being opened to traffic coming from either side of the bridge from early yesterday morning.

VTNZ's roadside assistance team has not seen any increase in callouts for customers affected by lane closures on the bridge.

However, motorists were urged to stay safe on the roads and make sure they have a current Warrant of Fitness, VTNZ general manager of operations Gavin McNaught said.

It comes after it was revealed earlier this week more than 3000 vehicles on New Zealand roads are fitted with fatal, potentially deadly airbags.

Vehicles fitted with Takata Alpha airbags have been subject to a compulsory safety recall in New Zealand since April 2018.

Most motorists have replaced their airbags, but some stragglers are putting themselves and others at risk.

About 82,000 New Zealand-new and used vehicles were fitted with the airbags, a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency spokesperson told the Herald.

"More than 78,000 vehicles have had their Alpha airbags replaced since the compulsory recall was announced in April 2018," the agency said.

"The remaining vehicles with Alpha airbags - 3402 as of Monday, 21 September - are unable to attain a new Warrant of Fitness [WoF] until the airbags have been replaced."