Easter: Key central Auckland motorway lanes closed for maintenance

Key Auckland motorway lanes will be closed from tomorrow night as Easter weekend kicks off while maintenance crews repair a damaged bridge joint on the Southern Motorway.

Waka Kotahi has urged motorists heading north for Easter to avoid Spaghetti Junction as all lanes on State Highway 1 between Symonds St and the SH16 link will be closed.

Regional Manager Tāmaki Makaurau me Te Tai Tokerau - Maintenance & Operations, Jacqui Hori-Hoult said a damaged joint was found on a junction bridge during routine maintenance.

It did not pose an immediate safety risk but needed to be repaired as soon as possible, Hori-Hoult said.

"Safety is our top priority, and our teams work hard to maintain a safe and reliable transport network for our customers.

Waka Kotahi told Auckland motorists heading north over Easter weekend to avoid the central motorway junction from tomorrow night. Photo / Supplied

"This is a significant closure, and even with the reduced traffic volumes over Easter we need people to plan ahead and choose a different route to avoid delays," she said.

Motorists should avoid the central motorway area and those heading north should take the western ring route to avoid congestion on SH1, which is expected to be heavy during peak traffic times.

Hori-Hoult said signposted detours would be in place - via Wellesley St to State Highway 16 westbound, SH1 northbound and the CBD.

The Victoria Park Tunnel will remain open throughout the works.

On 7am-8pm on April 15 one lane will open to allow access north on SH1 and to the Nelson St off-ramp but the agency advised motorists to avoid the area by choosing an alternative route.

The closure could be extended to 7am on April 17 and may be delayed by bad weather.