How to cope in gridlock city

Transport Agency staff in the traffic management operations centre at Smales Farm in Takapuna will monitor the impact of the closure of the viaduct's southbound lanes. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Organisers of the country's largest motorway closure are praying they have scared enough Aucklanders off the roads this weekend to avoid the city grinding to a halt.

A chunk of motorway that usually carries 60,000 vehicles on a Sunday will shut for 36 hours from 5pm today - just in time for Father's Day.

The Transport Agency is advising motorists to stay off the roads. If you must travel, its advice is to use trains if possible and avoid tomorrow's traffic hot spots such as the Auckland-Taranaki rugby game at Eden Park at 2.35pm or the New Zealand-Australia netball test at Vector Arena in the central city at 4pm.

Mark Walker, head of the Transport Agency's traffic management centre, admitted yesterday that his team remained on tenterhooks because of a need to halve vehicle volumes to keep detour routes free enough for people needing to get to work, the airport or hospitals.

"It really is important for the public to understand the scale of it ... The worst-case scenario is there is the potential for queues to form from Gillies Ave [at the southern end of the Newmarket Viaduct] all the way back to North Shore if people carry on their normal habits."

This weekend's shutdown is needed to switch traffic lanes from the viaduct's existing southbound carriageway to a new structure built as part of a $215 million project.

The Transport Agency has been buoyed by a survey showing 83 per cent of 500 people contacted by telephone indicated awareness of the closure. Only 19 per cent said they intended travelling to or through Auckland City during the closure.

However, a Weekend Herald straw poll of people in Queen St yesterday showed several were prepared to head out anyway. Just under half said they would not alter their travel plans.

Lisa Jones said she had family commitments and was expecting lengthy delays. "It won't be fun with kids in the car but there's not much I can do about it. I have to go."

A Freemans Bay man said he would use the roads, but hoped other people wouldn't. "I'm going to need to, which sucks, but I'm hoping a lot of others don't so it won't be as bad as everyone is saying it will be."

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority and rail operator Veolia intend doubling the length of many trains this weekend, and putting on extra services, adding 15,000 seats today and 25,000 to normal capacity.

Trains trips will be free from 5pm today and all day tomorrow.

Authority communications manager Sharon Hunter said bus passengers should be prepared for delays.

Mr Walker said rugby fans should have little difficulty reaching Albany for a Waikato-North Harbour clash tonight, but would be encouraged to go home via the Upper Waitemata Harbour and the Northwestern and Southwestern Motorways.

Roads around Eden Park will be busy after Taranaki plays Auckland tomorrow afternoon, and the Greenlane motorway interchange will come under pressure from 5pm today, when the viaduct closure will coincide with the end of a race meeting at Ellerslie.

Mr Walker said that in the unlikely event of the harbour bridge becoming blocked, traffic would be diverted off the motorway through Fanshawe St to clear the way for ambulances and fire engines.

The Hobson St, Symonds St and Khyber Pass Rd motorway entries will also be shut from 5pm today.

For updates: nzta.govt.nz/projects/newmarketconnection

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