A combination of poor weather, peak hour and the start of school holidays is expected to disrupt Auckland traffic this evening. Photo / NZME
A combination of poor weather, peak hour and the start of school holidays is expected to disrupt Auckland traffic this evening. Photo / NZME
As the start of school holidays and peak-hour traffic is upon us, Auckland commuters have been warned to take extra care over the Harbour Bridge this evening.
The warning came from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency at 5.10pm due to strong wind gusts presenting a potential danger to peak-traffic commuters.
“Please obey speed signs and maintain a safe following distance ... especially high-sided vehicles and motorcycles,” the agency said.
SH1 AKL HBR BRIDGE - STRONG WINDS - 5:10PM Due to strong wind gusts extra care is currently required on the Harbour Bridge, especially for high-sided vehicles & motorcycles. Please obey speed signs and maintain a safe following distance. ^HJ pic.twitter.com/gUkMBQ2WRV
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) June 30, 2023
Meanwhile, NZTA’s live traffic map shows traffic is crawling on the parts of the Southern Motorway, as congestion begins to back up.
An earlier crash in the middle-right northbound lane on State Highway 1 after the Ellerslie Panmure Highway caused some delays as Aucklanders began their weekends, but all lanes have since been cleared.
The transport agency said crews have worked hard to clear truckloads of landslip debris from the stretch of road overnight.
The road will need to remain closed today and over the weekend due to the weather and it being too unsafe for crews to carry out work next to live traffic, Waka Kotahi said.
SH1 WELLSFORD TO WARKWORTH - UPDATE 11:25AM, FRI 30 JUN SH1 between Wellsford and Warkworth (Dome Valley) will remain closed over the weekend.We anticipate the road will open in both directions early next week (dependent upon weather). Media release: https://t.co/eL4Ca49o1i ^MS pic.twitter.com/xDx0s5lVqQ
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) June 29, 2023
The road is likely to open early next week, weather depending.
NZTA’s regional manager of maintenance and operations, Jacqui Hori-Hoult, says as school holidays get under way, families should allow more time to travel and follow the official detours if they are heading away.
“Plan ahead, allow extra time for your journey and utilise the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner for the latest information on road closures,” she said.
The official detour route is:
Northbound: From Pukerito roundabout, right to old SH1 through Warkworth, right to Woodcocks Rd, on to West Coast Rd, right to SH16.
Southbound: In the opposite direction from SH16 in Wellsford to Warkworth.
Alternatively, motorists can use SH16, which runs all the way from Wellsford to Auckland.
Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway works continue
Following recent extreme weather conditions in the North Island, significant repair work continues on several roads across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
As a result, some roads have been fully closed and while this has been disruptive, Waka Kotahi’s Waikato system manager, Cara Lauder, says it has ensured the safety of road users and crews and allows the work to progress faster.
“Waka Kotahi network teams and contractors have worked together to minimise the overall impact to road users, especially on state highways where a road closure was used to undertake repairs, proactive site management and routine maintenance at the same time.
SH25 RUAMAHUNGA - UPDATE 7:00AM, FRI 30 JUN SH25 is expected to open under stop/go traffic management from 7:30am - 5:30pm today during daylight hours only, between Ruamahunga and Waiomu. More here: https://t.co/ujx9KOqkw1 ^MS pic.twitter.com/MLVXm2Xr5P
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) June 29, 2023
“Elsewhere we continue to manage and clean up a number of roads across the eastern side of the region, as well as isolated locations further inland,” said Lauder.
This work is expected to continue for some time and with winter conditions continuing, Waka Kotahi says it is ready to respond to further weather events as required.
“We are also looking forward to the next few months, when crews commence work to improve underlying road conditions ahead of our summer chipseal programme. Road users will start to see more teams out on the network as we move into spring,” Lauder says.
Waka Kotahi recommends that road users check the journey planner before heading out to ensure they have the latest up-to-date information on road conditions.