“There’s police all over the road, cars everywhere, someone up there handcuffed to a cop...anyone who’s going that way hold off, go have a coffee or something cause you’ll be there for ages.”
“Police will continue to work to resolve this matter once traffic has cleared. We thank motorists once again for their patience.”
The speed limit has been reduced in the area.
Traffic queues formed all the way from Ngauranga to Tawa after the protesters scaled a gantry between Hutt Rd and Aotea Quay. The road has been opened but motorists should still expect a slow route into the city this morning.
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency said motorists should expect significant delays.
“Please expect delays or take an alternate route if possible.”
It’s the second protest in a week for the group, after they attempted to block the road heading into the Terrace Tunnel on Monday. Three people were arrested after that protest.
Last week, the group brought traffic to a standstill on Wellington’s SH1, leading to the arrest of two of the protesters, and four days after another member, Rosemary Penwarden, was arrested for allegedly concreting her hand to a Wellington road.
Police would not confirm if the substance used to stick Penwarden’s hand to the road was cement, but construction expert John Tookey told the Herald it was likely an epoxy mixture, as cement alone could not set quickly enough to be useful.
Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.
