With many Aucklanders set to head away this long weekend, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is sharing its traffic predictions to help people plan their journeys.

Director Regional Relationships Steve Mutton says “We are expecting traffic to be heavier than usual on the state highways in and out of Auckland, especially given the forecasted fine weather.

“To make your journey more enjoyable, it is worth considering leaving outside of peak times to avoid the worst of the traffic,” says Steve Mutton.

Waka Kotahi’s online traffic prediction tool has been updated so those heading away this Auckland Anniversary weekend can see traffic flows, which are based on the previous years’ travel patterns.

The tool shows traffic heading North from Auckland will be heavy from this afternoon until at least 7pm this evening, and again tomorrow from 11am - 4pm.

Heading south out of Auckland is expected to be busy from this afternoon until at least 8:30pm tonight, when congestion should start to ease. Southbound will be busy again throughout the day tomorrow from about 8:30am - 4pm.

Road users can also expect delays heading back into the city on Sunday evening and throughout most of the day on Monday, with those coming through in early morning before 10am most likely to avoid the heaviest of the traffic.

Waka Kotahi has paused works at all larger project sites to minimise disruption for those travelling this long weekend. However those heading North should expect some temporary speed limits when passing our long term sites such as the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway, and through the Dome Valley to Wellsford safety improvement project area.

Mr Mutton encouraged motorists to take extra care when travelling over the holiday weekend due to not only increased traffic volumes and congestion, but also tiredness and people driving in unfamiliar environments.

“We can all take simple actions to stay safe. That means checking your car is safe before your journey, keeping your speed down, driving sober, watching for the signs of fatigue and sharing the driving.

“We know that congestion and delays can be frustrating, but the most important thing is that everyone gets to their destination safely. Please plan ahead, be patient and drive to the conditions,” says Steve Mutton.

Keep up to date with:

• COVID-19 services update: nzta.govt.nz/COVID19
• Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
• Facebook: facebook.com/nztaakl
• Twitter: twitter.com/WakaKotahiAkNth
• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz
• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)

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