Easter Weekend traffic out of Auckland will build up from late morning today. Photo / Nick Reed
Easter Weekend traffic out of Auckland will build up from late morning today. Photo / Nick Reed
If you want to beat the traffic out of Auckland this Easter Weekend you might want to get a move on.
Motorists escaping the city are expected to build up on the motorways heading north and south from late morning today through to after 8 tonight.
The worst time to be heading north on State Highway 1 between Puhoi and Wellsford north of Auckland today is between 11.30am and 8.30pm. Heading south on SH1 through Takanini, the busiest time will be between 2 and 7pm.
The NZ Transport Agency has created maps to show the expected peak holiday traffic to help motorists decide the best time to travel to avoid queues.
The busiest areas and times are based on previous years' travel patterns.
Hotspots include Bay of Plenty, Coromandel and Waikato.
In Bay of Plenty heavy traffic is expected over the weekend on SH29 over the Kaimai Range to Waikato, SH2 between Paeroa and Waihi, and between Tauranga and Katikati.
Coromandel traffic will be heavy on SH25 at Tairua and Kopu Bridge on Friday when people arrive and again on Monday when they head home.
SH1 north of Hamilton and south of Cambridge will also peak around similar times.
Roadworks south of Whangarei may also cause extra congestion for holidaymakers heading north for the weekend.
The roadworks at Oakleigh have already been a source of frustration for many motorists after reports of several hours of delays last Friday.
Construction crews will not work over the Easter Weekend, but a 50km/h speed restriction will remain and crews will be available to respond to any bad weather.
SH11 in Northland, between Paihia and Kawakawa, will remain closed as crews work to repair a major slip.
The road has been closed since February 13 after heavy rain brought down the slip on Lemons Hill.
Crews are working from the top of the slip to clear loose material, but the work has been constantly interrupted by bad weather.
NZTA Northland system manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult said they had considered opening the road for part of the day, but there was a risk of loose material falling on the road.
"Our crews are working as fast as safely possible given the complexity of the slip, the difficult access and the weather interruptions."
Traffic build-ups are also expected on the main highways leading in and out of Hawke's Bay.
"We will see a lot of people heading into and out of the region to take advantage of the long weekend," NZTA's Napier journey manager Oliver Postings said.
The forecast hot spots could change based on weather and other factors.
Once holidaymakers get to their destinations they should be in for some good weather.
Most of the North Island is in for relatively fine weather over the four days, MetService meteorologist Karl Loots said.
North Island Easter hotspots Northland and Coromandel are shaping up well, with mostly fine weather and temperatures in the low to mid-20s forecast.
The North Island's East Coast might just be the best place to bust out the togs and take a dip before winter, as Gisborne and Napier will crack 26C and full sun on Saturday.
A glance at the long weekend, in terms of temperature 🌡️
-Friday is a pretty warm day countrywide. -Saturday has a southerly change south but still warm north. -Sunday has a cooler start, but milder finish. -Monday is warmer again as another southerly approaches the south. pic.twitter.com/GS66kenH5a
Much of the same is expected down the coast to Wairarapa.
Auckland and western areas will also be warm but may get a few showers.
The wettest areas are most likely to be Fiordland and Westland, as a front arrives late on Friday and another on Monday morning.
Those in the South Island's east coast are in for a mixed weekend, with warm northwesterlies ahead of both fronts, before a blast of cooler air from southerly changes.
However, Easter Sunday is forecast to be the best day of the break for most of the country, when a ridge produces fine weather.
Good travel conditions are expected for Monday with dry roads for the North Island although the South Island will be dealing with slightly wetter weather.
A front arriving in the morning will bring scattered showers for parts of Otago and Southland, and periods of rain - potentially heavy - to West Coast regions.
