The camera gantry for the SH 1, Northern Gateway Toll Road, Auckland, New Zealand. Credit: NZPA
The camera gantry for the SH 1, Northern Gateway Toll Road, Auckland, New Zealand. Credit: NZPA
The NZ Transport Agency is encouraging people planning to use the Northern Gateway Toll Road this weekend to buy their trips in advance, or to pay within five days of using the road to avoid unnecessary penalties.
Both the toll road's website, www.tollroad.govt.nz, and the manual kiosks will be unavailablefrom 2.30pm this Saturday (10 May) until 7am on Sunday (11 May) while maintenance work is carried out on the toll system.
The Transport Agency also reminds drivers that the toll road's contact centre, which people can ring to buy or pay for trips on weekdays, does not open at weekends.
The website and kiosks for the toll road, which is located on State Highway 1 north of Auckland city, will be unavailable from Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning so that vital maintenance work can be carried out while traffic volumes are relatively light.
"We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this causes for our customers, and we'll be working hard to have everything operating again in time for Mother's Day on Sunday," says the Transport Agency's Manager Tolling, Sue Hardiman. "The work has been scheduled for this time of the week because traffic volumes are relatively light, making it the best time to carry out work on our toll systems."
The Transport Agency is using highway electronic message signs, the toll road's website, and social media like Facebook and twitter to alert people of the impact the maintenance work will have on trip payments. Signs have also been placed at the kiosks, located at either end of the toll road.
Ms Hardiman says the unavailability of the kiosks and website will affect casual users of the toll road. Those who have toll accounts will be not be affected.
There are two free alternative routes for people not wanting to use the toll road: on the Hibiscus Coast Highway from the Silverdale interchange on SH1 through Orewa to Puhoi, and from the Silverdale interchange to SH16 and Wellsford.
