Focus: Truck crash, fire on Auckland Harbour Bridge. Video / NZ Herald
A road-marking truck that flipped and burst into flames on Auckland Harbour Bridge has caused chaos across the motorway system this morning, with thousands of commuters left delayed by up to two hours.
The chaos has led to major congestion - now into the fifth hour - on the NorthernMotorway and affected other motorways, particularly the Upper Harbour and Northwestern routes, as people tried to find alternative ways into the city.
Delays on the Harbour Bridge are to be expected again before lunchtime as authorities are set to shut down two left-hand southbound lanes to assess the state of the road surface.
UPDATE 9:30AM Motorists who delayed travelling earlier are now returning to the Northern Mwy for a late morning citybound commute. #AklTraffic is moving normally however extra time should be allowed as queues ease at all southbound on-ramps. ^TPhttps://t.co/oSjQNaX4FY
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) September 1, 2019
Motorists are advised to delay all non-essential travel on SH1 or avoid the area entirely.
The NZ Transport Agency even suggests: "Consider working from home.'' The other advice is to take buses into the city centre.
All lanes on the bridge are now open. But delays are still to be expected, authorities said.
At one stage, it was taking an hour and 48 minutes to drive from Greville Rd to the bridge - a distance of 15km.
The latest update said citybound traffic on the Northern Motorway was now moving well, with long queues starting to ease on surrounding on-ramps.
However, westbound traffic on the Upper Harbour Motorway (SH18) remains heavily congested from Brigham Creek Rd, in Hobsonville, to Lincoln Rd on SH16.
"Please use SH1 (Northern Motorway) to travel south and allow extra time for queues at all on-ramps.''
Emergency crews rushed to the Harbour Bridge after reports of the crash just before 5am.
UPDATE 6:25AM Two lanes are now open citybound past the crash scene, however significant congestion remains and is also building westbound on the alternative Western Ring Route. Please DELAY YOUR JOURNEY this morning. ^TP https://t.co/Fi4Ragbimw
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) September 1, 2019
There are significant delays on the Northern Motorway, citybound, with road authorities reporting just before 6.30am that it was taking 90 minutes to get into the city that way.
The Google traffic map shows delays (in red) across the northern motorway system.
The bridge was down to one lane for more than an hour. By 6.45am, two out of the five southbound lanes were open. But the congestion stretches at least 15km.
Another witness described seeing a burnt-out truck as he drove past - as emergency crews continued to work at the scene.
"I'm just passing the charred remains of a small truck. It's completely burnt out. It's upside down - nothing but a skeleton.''
He could not see any other vehicles that could have been involved; although he did see a tow truck pass through earlier, he said.
Fire fighters were on the scene to extinguish the blaze following the crash in the early hours of this morning. Photo / Antony Gray
A photographer said according to police at the scene, the vehicle was a road-marking truck that had hit a centre barrier and flipped.
