Auckland traffic: Three motorway crashes cause morning commuter chaos

Multiple crashes on Auckland’s motorways caused major delays for commuters in and around the city this morning.

Traffic was crawling into the city during the morning rush, with progress on the Northwestern Motorway particularly slow going.

The first crash of the morning occurred just after 6am and partly blocked access from the Te Atatū Rd on-ramp to eastbound lanes on the Northwestern Motorway.

An NZTA Waka Kotahi spokesperson advised motorists to “take care” and “expect some delays through this area until cleared”.

A police spokesperson said: “At around 6.02am, police were notified of a two-vehicle crash on the Northwestern Motorway (SH16). The crash occurred near the Te Atatū off-ramp.”

“There were no injuries, but one citybound lane was blocked for a time, and this has since been cleared,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, two separate smashes on the Southwestern Motorway also caused major delays.

At 6.22am, police were notified of a two-vehicle crash northbound on the Southern Motorway (SH1) under the Panama overbridge in Mount Wellington.

“There were no injuries, and a one-lane blockage was quickly cleared,” a police spokesperson said

Just over an hour later, at 7.45am, police were called to another crash, this time a two-vehicle smash northbound on the Southern Motorway (SH1) near the Princes St-Ōtāhuhu on-ramp just before the Princes St overbridge.

There were no injuries and no blockages and as of 9.25am all the crashes were cleared.

One commuter said her normal commute from West Auckland to the CBD had been badly delayed and was expected to take more than 90 minutes.

Following the crashes, police said: “They would like to remind motorists to watch their following distances while driving in peak-hour traffic and to stay off their personal devices such as mobile phones.”