Traffic flowing smoothly through new Auckland tunnel

File photo / Sarah Ivey

Traffic is flowing smoothly through Auckland's Victoria Park Tunnel, which opened just before 5am this morning.

The opening of the tunnel is the first step in the completion of the Victoria Park Tunnel project to upgrade State Highway 1 between the Auckland Harbour Bridge and Auckland CBD.

By 9am around 10,000 vehicles had used the tunnel.

It is expected around 55,000 northbound vehicles will now go under rather than over Victoria Park each day.