Number of patched gang members on the rise, nurses on 24-hour strike, and orange rain warning remains in effect.
An aggrieved motorist wants urgent action to fix Auckland’s Southern Motorway after a pothole blew out two of his vehicle’s tyres on his way to work.
State Highway 1 heading north at Ramarama was down to one lane across lunchtime today as contractors carried out temporary repairs after the road started to deteriorate, said New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
Potholes had formed on the motorway at Ramarama after yesterday’s heavy rain and more permanent repairs are set to take place in late August.
Auckland resident Liam, who only wanted his first name used, said he saw the pothole “two seconds too late” on his way to work at 3.30am.
He said as soon as he heard the massive “bang” he knew two of his tyres were “goners”.
One tyre had enough air to get him home, while the other was left with a hole big enough for him to fit a hand inside.
As he assessed the damage and replaced one tyre with the vehicle’s spare, another car suffered a similar fate, popping two tyres on the same pothole, he said.
Liam says his car blew two tyres after he hit a pothole on Auckland's Southern Motorway near Ramarama.
As he drove off, he saw another motorist assessing damage to their car and a third vehicle that had pulled over in a similar spot.
He said the pothole his vehicle struck today had been a fixture of the road “for a while”, with it routinely being fixed and then washing out a few weeks later.
He also said the frustrating cycle did not only exist on the motorway.
“Lots of the rural, 80km/h roads out Pukekohe ways are filled with them... some of them are on blind corners, so you have no choice but to hit them or risk swerving off the road.
“It’s shocking.”
This morning, traffic was gridlocked back to the Waikato Expressway while road crews shut part of the busy motorway to one lane.
NZTA said the road had “deteriorated” overnight.
The left lane was fully closed, however, NZTA reopened it just after 8am.
The lane was shut again just before midday so crews could complete temporary repair work and reopened before 2pm.
NZTA told commuters to expect delays when travelling through and to use alternative exits.
FINAL UPDATE 9AM All congestions has now CLEARED after the prior closure.. Another off-ramp and lane closure will be in place on this section of the road later in the morning. ^EH https://t.co/CQsiXemBQ0
— NZ Transport Agency - Auckland & Northland (@nztaaklnth) July 29, 2025
A spokesperson said potholes had formed around the network following yesterday’s heavy rain.
“Road users should be mindful that workers will be out carrying out repairs today, slow down and adhere to any traffic management.”
Potholes were also causing issues for Waikato drivers.
NZTA said the heavy rain had caused potholes to form at several locations on the Waikato Expressway and nose-to- tail crashes on the highway had caused significant delays for drivers.
