Congested: SH1 Northcote Road just before 6.30am today. Image / Waka Kotahi NZTA
Congested: SH1 Northcote Road just before 6.30am today. Image / Waka Kotahi NZTA
Traffic heading on to the Auckland Harbour Bridge is once again looking like half a nightmare early this morning.
Motorway cameras on State Highway 1 showed bumper-to-bumper traffic from Northcote Rd
just before 6.30am.
Traffic also looks heavy on Esmonde Rd.
The Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's real-timetravel dashboard shows it is taking about half an hour to get over the bridge to the city from Silverdale.
The trip from Albany to Manukau, via the harbour bridge, is taking about 40 minutes. That is usually a drive of about 24 minutes, according to the site.
Busy: State Highway 1 Onewa Road at 6.15am today. Image / Waka Kotahi NZTA
NZTA reported just before 6.30am that southbound traffic was building early and the
Motorists are being told to check travel times before they head out and to consider using State Highways 18, 16 and 20 to get into the CBD.
SH1 AKL HBR BRIDGE - DELAYS - 6:20AM With reduced lanes on the Harbour Bridge #SH1 southbound traffic is building early, with a tail currently past Esmonde Rd. Check travel times before departing to consider using #WRR (SH18/16/20): https://t.co/guovXtdftO ^TH pic.twitter.com/KFPeplkE6t
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) September 24, 2020
There were also delays on the Western Ring Route early today: the drive from Albany to the airport was taking about 42 minutes. That trip usually takes just under half an hour, NZTA said.
Three lanes in each direction are open on the harbour bridge.
Although that is a huge positive over the past few days, people living on the North Shore were still being encouraged to take the bus or catch a ferry into town or to delay travel to
outside of peak hours.
Meanwhile, a crash on the Southwestern Motorway about 6.30am is causing northbound delays back to Lambie Drive.
NZTA is telling motorists in the area to allow for extra time for their journeys on SH20 this morning as a result.
UPDATE 6:45AM This incident is causing northbound delays back to Lambie Dr. Please allow extra time for your journey on SH20 this morning.^THhttps://t.co/o1NeqhtL9L
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) September 24, 2020
The crash was blocking the right northbound lane just before the Massey Rd off-ramp.
"Please merge left to pass and expect northbound delays," an alert said.
A week on from harbour bridge damage
It has been a week since freak gusts of up to 127km/h tipped over two trucks on top of the bridge about 11am last Friday.
