Labour Weekend drivers urged to take it easy

File photo / Paul Estcourt

Motorists travelling through Northland and Auckland are being urged to remain patient and be cautious during the holiday weekend.

Three people have died, 22 have been seriously injured and 125 have suffered from minor injuries in Labour weekend crashes in Auckland and Northland over the past five years, NZTA's regional director Ernst Zollner said.

Excessive speed is considered to be a factor in many of these crashes, he said.

"Statistics don't tell the story of the huge impact on family and friends when loved ones have been killed or seriously injured.

"We all have a responsibility to look after ourselves and our families, as well as others we share the road with."

Mr Zollner said traffic would be be heavy on all highways north and south of Auckland this weekend, but the busiest section would be the Northern Gateway Toll Road.

Last year, the average number of vehicles using the toll road increased by 3,000 a day during the long weekend, compared with vehicles using the road the weekend before.

He said this year traffic was expected to be heaviest on Friday, October 24.

Mr Zollner suggested rural SH16 between Auckland and Wellsford, as a less congested alternative to the Toll Road and SH1.

He said NZTA would stop all maintenance work for the holiday weekend unless there was an emergency.

This included an upgrade of the intersection of SH1 and Hill Street in Warkworth

"Our weekend shutdown will help keep traffic flowing smoothly, but we do ask people to observe speed limits and watch their following distances through work sites.

"Planning before leaving home together with careful and considerate driving will help people reach their destinations safely, enjoy the spring break, and then have a safe trip home."

The two lanes on the northbound extension on the Auckland Harbour Bridge will be closed this Sunday October 26 between 6am and 10am from the Curran Street on-ramp to the Stafford Road off-ramp.

The six remaining lanes on the bridge would remain open.