This morning saw wind gusts of over 70km/h howl through the city from 2am for 10 minutes, before settling down again.
NZTA issued a strong wind warning at 6.15am, warning motorists using State Highway 1 heading to the bridge to be extra careful this morning.
A passenger on a double-decker bus said she was "nervous" as they went over the bridge - no less because it was travelling on the far-left lane, nearest the ocean.
It comes just 10 days after a truck tipped over in freak winds of up to 127km/h, badly damaging a strut on the bridge.
Three lanes in each direction are now open on the bridge, following urgent temporary repairs last week.
Work is under way on designing and fabricating a permanent load-bearing fix for the bridge - a 22.7 metre strut - but it will take weeks for the bridge to be fully restored with eight lanes open to traffic.
MetService forecasts more high wind this afternoon and tomorrow as an unsettled weather pattern moves across the country.
Ongoing wind gusts remain a concern today and the Waka Kotahi bridge team was continually measuring wind gusts to assess whether lanes on the bridge will close to look after the safety of drivers and the overall health of the bridge, Walker said.
He said the authority was taking a very conservative approach to managing the bridge during this period of unsettled weather.
"Reduced traffic as a result of school holidays and altered travel plans has resulted in less congestion today compared to last week, however Waka Kotahi and AT are still urging people to avoid using the bridge if possible, travel during off peak hours, use the Western Ring Route on SH16 and SH18, or leave their vehicles at home and take public transport to reduce congestion and delays on the motorways."
Walker says Waka Kotahi would like to thank motorists, public transport users and the freight industry for continuing to help ease the load on the Auckland Harbour Bridge by choosing different travel options and routes.
Auckland Transport would look to replace some double decker buses with single decker buses for services over the bridge today as a safety precaution, he said.
"There are still plenty of seats on scheduled bus services from the North Shore and travelling by bus on the Northern Busway can be quicker than by car on the motorway."
Walker thanked the freight industry for its ongoing support in using the Western Ring Road during the recovery of the bridge.
"No overweight or over-dimension vehicles are currently allowed on the bridge and Waka Kotahi asks that heavy vehicles use the Western Ring Route as an alternative route to help reduce congestion over the bridge until the permanent solution is installed," Walker said.
