Traffic delays on State Highway 1 after roadworks, logging truck crash

The logging truck rolled near the Loop Road roundabout. Photo / Michael Cunningham

It was a busy morning on Northland's roads yesterday, with a logging truck crash just after 10am and roadworks delays over the Brynderwyns.

Resurfacing scheduled to take place on State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills overnight, and finish at 5am, was still delaying traffic until around 9am with stop/go controls in place.

"We would like to apologise to all those who faced unexpected delays on the Brynderwyn Hill this [Monday] morning," Kobus du Toit, system manager - maintenance and operations for Waka Kotahi Northland said.

"The overnight works were supposed to be done and cleared by 5am but unfortunately the job ran into overtime and the nature of the works meant they couldn't be paused."

Another four nights of asphalting work were expected to take place on the Brynderwyns this week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, with stop/go controls in place from 7pm to 5am. They did not expect the work to run overtime again, du Toit said.

Waka Kotahi's suggested detours were northbound via State Highway 12 and Paparoa Oakleigh Rd and southbound via Waipū, Mangawhai and Kaiwaka.

Shortly after the traffic began to flow again yesterday, a logging truck crashed and rolled near the roundabout on Loop Rd in Otaika about 10am.

The driver was not seriously injured, and was conscious, police said. Ambulance and Fire and Emergency were in attendance at the scene as well as Police.

The road was not blocked and no diversions were in place. Police were unable to determine if the crash was caused by a medical event.

Meanwhile, the two people killed in a head-on collision near Kāeo on Saturday have been named. They were Denise Samson, 47, and Shannon Herbert, 11, both from Kerikeri.

The four other people injured in the crash remained in serious conditions in hospital, a police spokesperson said.

The crash occurred about 12.20pm on Saturday on State Highway 10, between Kāeo township and Kāeo Bridge.

Six people were involved — a man and a 5-year-old child in a southbound Ford Ranger ute, and a mother and three sons in a Subaru station wagon heading north.

The investigation into the fatal crash is ongoing.