Whangārei's Riverside Drive motorists appear to heed Dave Culham Drive closure

Roadworks on Riverside Drive have caused congestion and delays for motorists. Photo / Tania Whyte

Motorists travelling along Whangārei's Riverside Drive during the morning peak appear to have taken heed of a road closure and adjusted their travel accordingly.

Whangārei's Dave Culham Drive was closed on Wednesday from 9am to 3pm while a section of Riverside Drive from the roundabout towards Onerahi was sealed.

It was the third day of sealing along Riverside Drive, which had caused congestion and delays for motorists, particularly at peak times of the day.

The congestion was anticipated to peak as the closure of Dave Culham Drive meant all traffic after 9am had to travel along Riverside Drive to get back into town.

However, traffic on Riverside Drive was reported as "steady" in the morning.

A visual message board had been installed along Dave Culham Drive since last week, advising of the closure.

A Whangārei District Council engineer who was at the intersection of Hatea Drive and Dent St from about 8.30am to 9.30am said traffic "seemed to be flowing quite well".

He didn't see any signs that people were getting impatient and thanked people for their patience during the work.

The road closure did cause some traffic congestion within the city during the day as people found alternative routes.

Afternoon peak traffic was not expected to be affected by the closure, as the road was scheduled to re-opened at 3pm.

Contractors are expected to sweep the road before the road marking, which is planned for Saturday.