A vehicle is towed from beneath the State Highway 1 overbridge after it plunged onto State Highway 1 in Auckland overnight. Photo / Hayden Woodward
A section of Auckland's Southern Motorway was closed for more than seven hours on Sunday morning after a vehicle crashed through the barriers on an overbridge, plunging to the motorway below.
The crash happened about 3.37am along Hill Rd in Manurewa.
The motorway reopened around 11am, and the damaged overbridge opened about an hour and a half later.
Police said the occupant of the vehicle lost control while crossing the bridge.
The person had to be cut out of the vehicle and suffered life-threatening injuries, police said. The person was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
A southbound section of the motorway from Hill Rd to Takanini remained closed for most of the morning as the Serious Crash Unit investigated the scene.
The motorway closure was from Hill Rd to Takanini southbound, according to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
"Thank you for your ongoing patience and continue to expect delays along this route," the agency warned on Twitter even after the roadway reopened.
The closure came amid other delays today in Auckland, and across the nation, caused by heavy wind and rain.
About 30km north of the crash site on State Highway 1, the Auckland Harbour Bridge was also closed this morning.
The 9.30am bridge closure was ordered as a precaution as wind gusts reached 100km/h.
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.