Traffic slow as holidaymakers head home

Traffic crawls into Warkworth as Labour weekend holidaymakers return to Auckland. Photo / Jason Oxenham

A breakdown at a crucial link point in Auckland's motorway has been cleared, and traffic is beginning to flow again.

A vehicle was blocking the right lane northbound at Spaghetti Junction, near the Nelson St off-ramp, but the NZTA say the lanes are now clear.

Traffic had been extending back to Newmarket Viaduct and building.

A slow patch remains between Ellerslie and Greenlane, but should start to ease soon, the NZTA said.

Holiday traffic is heavy in patches heading into Auckland from the north, with queues on State Highway 1 near Wellsford and Warkworth.

In north Waikato, an earlier crash at Taupiri has added to delays northbound to Huntly, and also slowed traffic southbound through the area.

It has been cleared, but traffic is expected to remain heavy in the area until at least 6pm.

Traffic on State Highway 2 is still moving slowly between Maramarua and Mangatawhiri.

It's slow going on Auckland's Southern Motorway heading into the city.

A breakdown which had caused hold-ups at Spaghetti Junction in central Auckland has since been cleared and the backlog of traffic was clearing.

The New Zealand Transport Agency says traffic is slow on State Highway 2 between Maramarua and Mangatawhiri.

It's also slow going along SH1 from Taupiri to Huntly, and heavy northbound along the Southern Motorway around Papakura with queues building back towards Drury.

Coming from the north, traffic is dawdling into and through Wellsford and Warkworth along SH1.

There are also queues for the Hill St intersection along Matakana Rd and Sandspit Rd.

Traffic is building north of Wellington, at Otaki.

It's expected to be busy at that holiday crunch-point until around 6.30pm.