Crashes cause delays in Christmas traffic across North Island

With thousands of New Zealanders heading out to their Christmas destinations, airports and roads are teeming with people travelling the country and people are advised to prepare in advance so they don’t get stuck.

A crash between two trucks on Auckland’s southwestern motorway is causing traffic to back up, blocking the right southbound lane and partially blocking the left as well.

A reporter at the scene said they could see the driver of one of the trucks sitting on the side of the motorway.

A crash is blocking the right southbound lane, and partially blocking the left southbound lane on Auckland’s southwestern motorway near Massey Rd and Puhinui Rd. Photo / Elizabeth Binning

The incident, between Massey Rd and Puhinui Rd, is causing traffic to trail back to the Rimu Road over-ride and Waka Kotahi is advising motorists to take care when passing and prepare for extra delays to their journey.

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Another crash has also blocked the left two lanes of Auckland’s State Highway 1 near the Market Road offramp.

People are asked to carefully merge to the right-hand side and expect delays to their journey.

Earlier this morning there was another crash on State Highway 45 in Taranaki which closed the road at the intersection with Paora Rd.

The Serious Crash Unit is attending and police are warning motorists to avoid the area.

Stop/go traffic management and a speed limit of 30km/h has been put in place.

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In Wellington, State Highway 58 near Haywards has been blocked eastbound by another crash. Anyone travelling towards the Hutt Valley should expect delays.

How to skip Christmas queues at the airport

Airports are also preparing for thousands of New Zealanders to jet all over the country for their celebrations, meaning travel will be busier than ever.

Today is expected to be the busiest day of the year to travel by plane[3], and airports are warning holiday-makers to prepare for delays.

Air New Zealand says it is expecting to carry more than one million domestic passengers[4] and almost as many international travellers over the holiday travel period.

The bumper Christmas period between today and January 31 will see the national carrier ferry an additional 700,000 passengers through international terminals.

A spokesperson for Auckland Airport told the Herald it had been so far so good at the airport during the peak travel period.

Thousands of New Zealanders are flying home for Christmas and Auckland Airport expects to have its busiest day today.

Photo / Alex Burton

“With 50,000 travellers flying in and out of the airport today, there has been a really good mood and it has been heartwarming to see family reunited for the holidays.”

Heidi Walker, the general manager of Flight Centre, says there are a few ways people can make sure they don’t get stuck in unnecessary queues this Christmas.

One way to move faster is to travel with hand luggage only – but people should be careful they don’t get caught out carrying things they shouldn’t.

Travel light to get there faster. Photo / 123RF

“The last thing we want is for Kiwis to be held up with security checks or have their precious Christmas gifts confiscated, so it’s important to double-check all items are allowed in your hand luggage before you get to the airport,” Walker says.

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Common sense would tell people to leave the knife sets and dart boards in checked bags, but it would also pay to check your airline allows you to fly with more innocuous things – like Christmas crackers or golf clubs.

It’s also smart to leave your Christmas presents unwrapped until you reach your destination, as airport staff may need to check their contents – meaning all your hard work sellotaping would be undone in the line for security rather than under the tree on Christmas morning.

With airports busier than usual, it’s crucial travellers check the size and weight of their carry-on bags as well.

Walker recommends measuring a bag’s length, width and height, including any wheels and packed away handles, and making sure your combined carry-on items weigh less than 7kg together.

The busiest domestic route this holiday will be Auckland to Christchurch, followed by Auckland to Wellington and then Queenstown as Kiwis escape the city for a well-deserved summer holiday. Meanwhile, Nelson, at the top of the South Island, remains the busiest destination for regional airlink services.

How to skip the traffic jams before Christmas

For Kiwis who prefer to drive rather than fly, the roads will be teeming too.

Starting at the top of the country in Whangarei, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi map predicts State Highway 1 northbound will see heavy usage between 11am and 6pm most days of the Christmas period.

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Traffic will pick up today and stay heavy into December 29. From there, it will be calm for five days until January 6, when it picks up again.

Moving down the country to Auckland, State Highway 1 northbound between Manukau and Bombay is expected to be busiest in the New Year, between January 2 and 6.

There will also be passing lane closures on State Highway 2 at Maramarua because of safety concerns around the high volume of traffic expected.

For those travelling south, the motorway will be busier between 10am and 6pm today, then between 9am and 3pm from December 23 to 29.

It pays to get on the road early to skip the queues. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Wellington will be relatively quiet on the roads with the heaviest period for traffic shaping up to be now – at least for State Highway 2 between Pekapeka and Otaki, where traffic will be busy until 6pm.

AA road safety spokesman Dylan Thomsen is warning motorists to stick to the speed limits as the summer holidays are a peak time for car crashes.

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“Summer is the busiest time on our roads, which makes it a riskier time for crashes. We expect the police to be out in force on the roads from this point on – meaning if you are breaking the rules, you are more likely to be caught,” Thomsen says.

Trains running slowly due to heat

Public transport is also running slowly as the summer heat sets in.

Speed restrictions have needed to be put in place in Auckland and Wellington to stop the team tracks from warping under the sun.

A Kiwirail spokesperson told the Herald that speed limits need to be put in place when the track temperature exceeds 40C.

The limit of 40km/h will stay in place until the track has cooled enough to avoid warping.

“This is a common occurrence over summer and restrictions can reach late into the evening during the hotter, mid-summer days.”

The Auckland train lines will be closed for a chunk of the holiday season as teams work on the tracks.

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All lines will close from Boxing Day to January 14 with the Western line remaining closed until January 19.

Waitemata Station (Britomart) will also be closed until January 21 while CRL teams undertake necessary track work.

In Wellington, the track will be closed to commuter trains from December 26, 2023 to January 7, 2024, with the Wairarapa Line staying closed until January 14.

References

1. ^ Advertise with NZME. (advertising.nzme.co.nz)
2. ^ Advertise with NZME. (advertising.nzme.co.nz)
3. ^ busiest day of the year to travel by plane (www.nzherald.co.nz)
4. ^ expecting to carry more than one million domestic passengers (www.nzherald.co.nz)
5. ^ Advertise with NZME. (advertising.nzme.co.nz)
6. ^ Advertise with NZME. (advertising.nzme.co.nz)
7. ^ Advertise with NZME. (advertising.nzme.co.nz)
8. ^ Advertise with NZME. (advertising.nzme.co.nz)