Traffic leaving Auckland suffers hour long delays

Motorists heading north are being warned of hour long delays, with a 15 kilometre long queue stretching from Warkworth back to Puhoi.

The NZTA is advising drivers to delay their journey if they can, or take the alternative route north on SH16

It says this route is signposted from the Silverdale Interchange on SH1 or can be accessed from the Northwestern Motorway.

On the Southern Motorway, traffic is also heavy with motorists facing delays of up to 30 minutes.

The NZTA says traffic has grown earlier than usual with people taking advantage of the good weather to leave the city earlier for the long weekend.

- NZ HERALD STAFF