Crashes bring Tauranga to standstill

A car crash at a Tauranga roundabout is causing major traffic problems during rush hour. Photo / Google Maps

Two crashes on major Tauranga roads have left much of the city in gridlock this morning.

A police media spokeswoman said police were called to State Highway 2 near Papamoa at 5.55am after a truck and trailer carrying a load of wood had rolled.

The spokeswoman said the crash blocked a couple of lanes for about an hour before emergency services cleared the scene just before 7.30am.

No one was injured in the rush-hour smash, she said.

Police were also called to a two-car crash at a major Tauranga roundabout at the intersection of Cambridge and Moffat roads.

"Traffic was backed up for a while but there were no injuries," a police spokeswoman said.

The two separate crashes this morning left motorists stuck in rush-hour traffic, with motorists reporting traffic backed up to the Welcome Bay shops and "barely moving" at 7.20am.

"Many motorists were turning around after waiting in queues," said one motorist.

Another motorist on her way to work had said traffic was backed up from Waikite Rd in Welcome Bay.