Traffic is easing up for those travelling out of Auckland and Wellington after heavy delays earlier today.
The NZ Transport Agency [NZTA] earlier said people driving north of Auckland should take State Highway 16 instead of the main road through to Puhoi, Warkworth and Wellsford areas.
Holiday traffic is heavy northbound on #SH1 thru Puhoi, Warkworth & Wellsford areas. Please consider using #SH16 as a faster alternative route. ^TP pic.twitter.com/WwN4Ll9UWN
— NZTA Akld & Nthlnd (@NZTAAkl) December 26, 2017
The route appears to have cleared now, however.
A crash on the Harbour Bridge southbound had blocked a lane but had also been cleared, it said.
NZTA spokesperson Wayne Sharplin previously said traffic in and out of Auckland was heavy.
"Heading north we've got queues at the Johnstone Hill tunnels heading between Puhoi and Wellsford as to be expected at this time of day. If you're heading along State Highway 15 from Silverdale it's about a 30 minute quicker trip if you go up State Highway 16 to get to Wellsford, so that's probably the best option at the moment."
"If you're heading south at the moment there are queues between Manukau and Takanini and then again from Drury through to Bombay it's fairly slow-moving with the queue for State Highway 2 right back at the moment. So the alternative if you're heading down towards Tauranga would be to go down State Highway 1B, and go across the Kaimai Ranges."
The traffic had since eased up, however.
Meanwhile, traffic for those travelling northbound from Wellington to Ōtaki along State Highway 1 has also been easing after earlier causing two-hour delays.
SH1 KAPITI COAST, NORTHBOUND - CONGESTION - 1.20PM
— NZTA Wellington (@NZTAWgtn) December 27, 2017
Northbound traffic is very heavy on SH1 between Plimmerton and Otaki, with delays of up to 2 HOURS. Please be patient and watch your following distance or consider travelling at another time. ^LB pic.twitter.com/PMFXAt0InL
Mr Sharplin said most motorists appeared to be being patient.
"The traffic we've seen today is what we predicted, the 27th had always been one of the heavier days of the holiday period so it was expected."
Travellers were still urged to check the Transport Agency website:
