Drivers are being warned that State Highway One through the central North Island will remain closed until later this evening.
The Desert Road could remain closed for several more hours. Photo: Dan Down Under / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
The Transport Agency says the Desert Road will stay closed until at least 7pm, after a truck and trailer rolled at about 11am today, completely blocking the road.
Diversions are available through National Park, but will add an extra 40 minutes to journeys through the area.
State Highway 2, which was closed earlier today while police investigated the fatal bus crash that killed two people on Christmas Eve, has re-opened.
Meanwhile police say they are disappointed with unsafe, speeding and drink drivers seen in the Auckland region in the past couple of days.
Sergeant Mark Fleming said one person pulled over on Christmas Day blew nearly six times the legal breath alcohol limit.
People were unnecessarily putting others at risk at what was already a high-risk time on the roads, he said.
Update: SH1 Desert Rd is now CLOSED following an earlier crash. A detour is in place, expect delays in area & avoid travel if possible ^LC pic.twitter.com/t1uHef5Vkw
— NZTA Waikato/BoP (@NZTAWaiBoP) December 25, 2016
