2 September 2019

The NZ Transport Agency advises that all south-bound lanes across the Auckland Harbour Bridge are now open.

The two left hand lanes were closed at 11am for 33 minutes so engineers could check the road surface after this morning’s truck crash, which left diesel residue across the two lanes.

“There was a risk that the road surface would get slippery for fast moving traffic if it became wet through rain or condensation. So it was both a safety and resilience check that had to be done before the evening peak traffic period began,” says Auckland Transport Operations Centre Group Manager, Rua Pani.

“We acknowledge the closure caused further disruption but it was necessary for the safety of all road users and our engineers worked as quickly as possible to minimise traffic delays. “

Earlier, there was major south-bound congestion on SH1 and on the Western Ring Route (SH16 and 18) after a road marking truck crashed and caught fire shortly before 5am at the base of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Initially four of the five south-bound lanes were blocked, but by 7:20am, all lanes had re-opened.

The congestion extended the usual Monday morning peak by about an hour before traffic flows began to return to normal on SH1. Congestion on SH16 and 18 also eased.

The bridge’s moveable traffic barrier will now be changed to its normal 4 south-bound and 4 north-bound lane configuration until the afternoon peak. This will allow safe access on the north side of the bridge for road crews to replace a median barrier on the right hand lane that was damaged by the truck crash.

“We thank motorists for their patience and understanding as journey times on the motorway network return to normal.”

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