The NZ Transport Agency says State Highway 1 (SH1) north of Auckland is expected to re-open by 6.30pm today, following a crash that saw thousands of litres of milk fat spread over the road.
The crash involving a milk tanker happened near the intersection of SH1 and Schollum Access Rd north of Puhoi around 4.45am.
Diversions are in place northbound at Silverdale via State Highway 16 and southbound at Warkworth via Woodcocks Rd.
The Transport Agency’s Auckland highways manager, Brett Gliddon says the milk fat has solidified and formed a slippery surface across three lanes of the highway.
“Our contractors have been working hard to clean the spill however the road surface is still extremely slippery,” he says. “We have got high-powered water blasters coming onsite this afternoon to make the road safe for traffic and we hope to reopen it by 6.30pm.
“We would like to thank motorists for their patience. This is a highly unusual situation involving a very slippery substance and the crash area includes a steep 35km/h corner, so it is vital the spill is extremely well cleaned up to avoid accidents once the road reopens.”
Check the Transport Agency’s website: www.nzta.govt.nz(external link) for the latest highway information or sign up to www.onthemove.govt.nz(external link) for up-to-date information on what is happening on the route you plan to travel; Freephone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS for national and regional travel updates.
Update at 5.52pm
The road is now open. There will be a 30km/h speed restriction in place for 12 hours.
