Traffic building as holidaymakers start slow crawl back home

Traffic is building on the Kopu-Hikuai Rd near Thames. Photo / Glennis Switalla

Traffic is already building in Northland and around Thames as holidaymakers start the slow crawl home.

Thames resident Glennis Switalla said queues were already building on the Kopu- Hikuai Rd near Thames from 11.30am.

Switalla took a photo when she was sitting in the traffic about 5km from the intersection towards Thames (above) . "It was stopping and starting."

Meanwhile, the northbound lanes on State Highway 1 near Brynderwyn Hill, south of Whangarei, has reopened after a car caught fire earlier today.

The New Zealand Transport Auckland (NZTA) is also urging motorists to avoid the hotspots if they are venturing out over Auckland Anniversary Day.

As well as the state highways leading into Auckland, delays are expected around Wynyard Quarter in Auckland's CBD and in the streets surrounding Eden Park for the NZ vs Australia One Day cricket game from 11am.

Traffic hotspots:

Auckland
SH2 - Maramarua (East of SH1/SH2 Interchange)
SH1 - between Puhoi and Wellsford
SH1 - Takanini (South of Auckland)

Bay of Plenty
SH2 - between Paeroa and Tauranga
SH29 - Kaimai (West of Tauranga)

Northland
SH1 - Whangarei

Waikato
SH1 - Karapiro (South of Cambridge)
SH1 - Taupiri (North of Hamilton)

Source: NZTA