Auckland Harbour Bridge: Company director says half a day of business lost to closure

An IT company based in Auckland's CBD effectively lost half a day of business following the closure of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Traffic authorities have been warned motorists strong winds of 80km/h or higher could lead to the closure of the bridge. It happened just before 7am.

OutSource IT's managing director Philip Adamson believes he was the last motorist to get over the bridge from the North Shore before it closed.

A Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency truck positioned at the rise of the bridge started to lower a 'road closed' sign as Adamson approached.

"I just thought: 'Oh, I better get past this' and accelerated past. I made it to work just before 7am and was the only one in the office," he said.

A handful of his colleagues were not so lucky.

Just made it: Philip Adamson's car just passes the road closed sign on the harbour bridge this morning. Photo / Supplied

Being an IT company, Adamson said the business was quick to adapt when the Covid-19 lockdown took place, moving meetings online.

Meeting clients in person is the preferred method, however, and sudden closures without notice created nothing but headaches.

OutSource IT's managing director Philip Adamson. Photo / Supplied

"It's too late, people are already in the traffic ... and [the authorities] could have some sensible policies around it," Adamson said.

"If they just stopped trucks and buses and let cars go through and do some actual traffic management, you don't need to destroy business."

The bridge was reduced to one lane heading into the city around 6.30am, before the call was made to close State Highway 1 entirely just before 7am.

MetService reported wind gusts on the bridge at that time had reached up to 95km/h.

Adamson said it was windy but it was "nothing outrageous".

Colleagues said the buses they were on were rocking around in the wind, and Adamson said he wouldn't have wanted to be on a motorbike.

"The cost of having four North Shore people out of work for a half day and a couple of people from the south coming in late, you're talking thousands of dollars."

After an already turbulent year with the coronavirus-forced lockdowns, the chaos surrounding the bridge is another headache to deal with for Adamson.