Northland truck breakdown + roadworks = gridlock

Traffic was backed up on SH10 from Puketona to Bulls Gorge for much of Wednesday after a truck breakdown compounded roadworks delays. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Roadworks and a truck breakdown in the worst possible place combined to bring traffic chaos to a stretch of State Highway 10 south of Kerikeri on Wednesday.

For several hours the queue of traffic heading south stretched from Puketona Junction to the top of Bulls Gorge, a distance of about 4km.

While motorists passing through Puketona Junction have faced delays all week due to roundabout construction, that was compounded by a truck breakdown on the bridge just north of the junction on Wednesday morning.

NZ Transport Agency spokesman Darryl Walker said the truck and trailer's brakes locked around 11.30am, blocking one lane of the bridge. Contractors were trying to move it but it was still stuck hours later.

Roadworks at the new roundabout at the Puketona Junction had also caused delays but the main cause on Wednesday was the breakdown.

Contractors were currently working on roundabout approaches and verges and concreting traffic islands. They were mindful of the disruption and trying to keep it to a minimum, he said.

The hold-ups sparked frustration for many motorists, including tow truck driver ''Tiny'' Dawson.

He said he got stuck for half an hour heading north in the morning and just over an hour heading south in the afternoon.

''It's just a joke,'' he fumed.

Dawson said contractors could have stopped the roadworks in the meantime and opened up the site to make the best of a bad situation.

He also questioned why a tow truck wasn't called to disable the truck's brakes and tow it out of the way. That could have taken a few hours but that was better than the five hours and counting the truck was stuck on the bridge.