Holiday traffic chaos: When to hit the roads to avoid the 'red zone'

Traffic hell threatens to sour the end of the holidays for many New Zealanders - but data from last summer can help predict the best time to brave the journey back home.

Those wanting to avoid some of that pain should pack up the car and kids and hit the roads as early or late as possible, as information from last year's holiday period shows some of the country's key routes will be chocka most of the day tomorrow.

The NZTA has released a Holiday Planner, that uses information from last year to predict the best - and worst - time to brave the commute home.

Green indicates free-flowing traffic, orange shows "busy" and red "heaviest" congestion.
During daytime hours, some of the main holiday routes are predicted to be largely in orange and red tomorrow.

Journeys will be easier today, but traffic is still expected on many routes.

NZTA says the predictions are subject to change based on weather and other factors like crashes, and commuters should also check its Journey Planner tool for real-time information. Below are the Holiday Planner predictions for today and tomorrow.

Today, January 4

• Approaching Auckland from the north:

People driving State Highway 1 south from Whangārei will hit "busy" traffic from about 9.30am until 2pm, with heaviest congestion from 10.30am until around 12.30pm.

The notorious section between Wellsford and Puhoi will be busy most of the day - from around 9.30am until 4pm, and in the "red zone" of heaviest traffic from about 10.30am until 3.30pm.

• Driving towards Auckland from the south

SH1 around Takanini is expected to be busy from 11am until 6pm.

The section south of Cambridge will be busy from around 11am until 5pm.

• Coming from the Coromandel/Bay of Plenty

State Highway 2 (East of SH1/SH2 interchange) is predicted to get busy from 11.30am to 6.30pm.

SH2 between Tauranga and Katikati will be busy for those heading westward from about 9.30am to 4pm, with particularly bad traffic from 10.30am until about midday.

• Wellington

SH1 on the Kapiti Coast between Peka Peka and Otaki is likely to be congested from 10.30am until 6.30pm, with heaviest traffic from about 1.30pm until 5.30pm.

Sunday, January 5

• Approaching Auckland from the north:

Aucklanders heading south from Whangārei will strike heavier congestion from about 10.30am up until around 8pm. During that period, the red zone or busiest period is predicted to be from noon until 7pm.

The stretch between Wellsford and Puhoi will be busy from 10am until 9pm, with particularly heavy congestion between 11am and around 8pm.

• Driving towards Auckland from the south

Those approaching Auckland from the south have an even smaller window to avoid congestion. State Highway 1 around Takanini is predicted to be busy from 9am until 8pm, with "heavy" traffic expected from 10am until 7pm.

SH1 south of Cambridge will be busy from 11am-6pm, and heaviest from noon until about 5pm.

• Coming from the Coromandel/Bay of Plenty

State Highway 2 (East of SH1/SH2 interchange) is predicted to get busy from 11am to 8pm, with heavy congestion from about 2pm until 7pm.

SH2 between Tauranga and Katikati will be busy for those heading westward from 9am-3.30pm, and heavy from about 11.30am to 1pm.

• Wellington

Wellingtonians face some bad traffic in their commute home. SH1 on the Kapiti Coast between Peka Peka and Otaki is likely to be congested from 10am until 6pm, and in the "red zone" from 1pm until 4pm.

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