The NZ Transport Agency advises that it has closed the two left hand southbound lanes across the Auckland Harbour Bridge to allow inspection of the road surface after this morning’s truck crash.
The lanes are expected to be closed for up to an hour while the road surface is checked and either waterblasted to clear diesel residue or to spread more absorbent material, says Auckland Transport Operations Centre Group Manager, Rua Pani.
“The closure is a further disruption but it’s necessary for safety reasons ahead of this evening’s period traffic period. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank motorists for their patience and understanding.”
This morning’s traffic disruption was caused by a truck crash and fire shortly before 5am on the south-bound lanes 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 has also eased.
“Motorists are advised there may be some delay while the SH1 lanes are closed for the road surface assessment. Our crews are working as quickly as possible to restore the motorway to a safe and resilient state.”
Once the two lanes are reopened, the bridge’s moveable traffic barrier will 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.
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