Slow trip back home for holidaymakers

Holiday traffic backs up at the Kopu Bridge yesterday. Photo / Dean Purcell

Traffic was reduced to a snail's pace on many roads yesterday, but the worst of the expected annual post-Christmas holiday traffic jams failed to eventuate.

Thousands of holidaymakers spent the day driving home in time to start work today, at times causing congestion on the roads into Auckland.

Traffic on State Highway 1 in Taupo was reported to be slow and heavy just after 1pm, and many people had to sit sit in their vehicles as the sun blazed down.

Those travelling from Huntly and Cambridge faced the same problem when traffic became heavy around midday.

Motorists crossing the notoriously congested Kopu Bridge on SH25 between Auckland and Coromandel had delays of up to six minutes around 1pm.

Traffic on SH2 in Waikato was reported to be medium-heavy at 12.30pm, and traffic in Te Puke and Mt Maunganui said to be moderate just before 1pm.

By last night, 12 people had died in accidents since 4pm on Christmas Eve, the majority of the deaths happening between New Year's Day and yesterday.

Twenty-five people died during the same period last year.

The official Christmas/New Year break finished at 6am today.

Traffic was delayed on the Hibiscus Coast after a two-car crash, in which one person was killed, just after 10.30am yesterday.

The intersection of Schischka Rd and the Hibiscus Coast Highway in Wenderholm, north of Auckland, was closed by police and traffic was diverted to SH1.

Diversions were also in place further north, on SH10 about 2km south of Kerikeri Rd after a three-car smash.

One man was airlifted to hospital.

In Waikato, on SH27, diversions were put in place after a truck smashed into a bridge just after 8am.

The driver had head injuries and was taken to hospital.

Spilt diesel forced police to divert traffic and close the road for more than four hours.

Traffic congestion eased nearing Auckland, and about 1pm traffic on SH1 in Puhoi and through the Johnson tunnels was said to be flowing freely, as was that coming from Wellsford and Northland.

The Transport Agency said it could have been worse if a large number of holidaymakers had not decided to return home early.