Second crash closes another detour route during Brynderwyns closure

Another crash has happened on a Brynderwyns detour route - this time on Cove Rd near Waipu.

Another crash has happened just two weeks into the Brynderwyns closure in Northland, closing a vital detour route.

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) posted on social media at 2pm that due to a crash, Cove Rd in Waipu is closed between Braemar Lane and Flagstaff Terrace.

NZTA asked motorists to consider delaying their journeys or use an alternative route. The road reopened at 2.40pm.

A local business owner said she was told a vehicle rammed the car in front of it, and a man was diverting traffic down South Rd.

Cove Rd is one of three detour routes motorists must take during the 10-week closure of SH1 over the Brynderwyn Hills.

It’s the second crash to block roads and cause traffic mayhem since the closure came into effect on February 26 so work could be carried out to repair last year’s storm damage.

Last week, NZTA also advised motorists to delay their journeys and use an alternative route after a logging truck crashed on Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd.

Whangārei District Council is also considering banning heavy trucks from a narrow gravel road being used as a shortcut.

Several residents have written to the Northern Advocate and the Northland Transportation Alliance with “serious concerns” about logging trucks using Millbrook Rd, which links the Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd detour route with SH1 at Waipu.

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.