Crash causes chaos, motorway closed, 6km queues to get on Auckland motorways - welcome to March Madness early

Auckland traffic is starting March Madness more than a month early with crash chaos closing the Northwestern Motorway and 6km long queues to get on the southern sections.

State Highway 16 was closed for nearly an hour to traffic heading into the city from Brigham Creek roundabout, Hobsonville and Royal Rd on-ramps after the 8.40am truck crash near Lincoln Rd, which is blocking both lanes. The motorway is gridlocked and drivers are warned to avoid it.

Hundreds of cars were trapped in an 8km queue behind the crash.

The truck was moved off the highway just before 9.30am and both lanes into the city are now open.

NZTA said that after weeks of easy travelling on the motorways traffic has returned to pre-holiday bumper-to-bumper rush hour flows.

SH16 NORTHWESTERN MWY, CITYBOUND - CRASH - 8:40AM

A crash is blocking all lanes south on the Northwestern Mwy prior to Lincoln Rd off-ramp. Long delays should be expected. Avoid this route, exit Mwy at Westgate. ^TP pic.twitter.com/C0y3FXfjnV

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) January 29, 2018

An Auckland engineering firm tweeted the effects of people returning to work after summer holidays and schools going back meant March Madness had begun in earnest - in January.

It reported cars were backed up for 6km to get onto the Southern Motorway.

And Auckland's March Madness has begun in earnest.
Cars backed up 6km to get onto the Southern and motorway is running bright red on Google Maps. #AucklandTraffic pic.twitter.com/XUvvxnjjsj

— Tonkin+Taylor (@TonkinTaylor) January 29, 2018

A satellite snapshot of live traffic across Auckland's motorway network shows traffic down to a crawl over many sections.

#AklTraffic has returned to pre-holiday period heavy peak movements this morning. Please #DriveSafe & help to spread the jam. ^TP pic.twitter.com/VXonK3HAQO

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) January 29, 2018