Road re-open following ‘extensive delays’ on SH1 north of Auckland after serious crash

Traffic has eased after a crash on just north of Puhoi left one critically injured and caused almost 10km of nose-to-tail congestion on Monday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to a serious crash on Auckland’s State Highway One, near the intersection of Schollum Access Rd, just after 12.20pm responding to a report of a car crashing down a bank.

St John Ambulance reported the person is in a critical condition.

By 2.10pm congestion had built up back to Warkworth southbound and northbound back to Puhoi, Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) advised. The road had re-opened as of 2.55pm, but Waka Kotahi continued to warn of delays in both directions.

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At 5.10pm Waka Kotahi NZTA reported emergency services had left the area, after which traffic began to return to normal.

Emergency services also responded to a crash involving two motorcycles on West Coast Road, Castle Hill in the Selwyn District, which happened about 12.30pm.

Both riders have moderate injuries, and police advised motorists to avoid the area if possible.

Waka Kotahi warned people to plan ahead on Monday as it anticipated “high volumes” of traffic across Auckland’s motorway network and further afield as people head home from the long weekend.

People are advised to check where the longest delays are expected before they travel.

So far, there have been four deaths on the roads this Labour Weekend, three on Saturday and one on Monday afternoon.

There were seven deaths from crashes at Labour Weekend last year, and eight in 2020, according to Te Manatū Waka (the Ministry of Transport).

One person died in a single-vehicle crash on High St in Taita, Lower Hutt about 11am on Saturday.

Another person died in a crash involving two vehicles on Hamilton’s Horotiu Rd near State Highway 39 about 11am.

A third person died following a crash on SH35, about 6km north of Waihau Bay in the Bay of Plenty about 10.35pm on Saturday.

On Sunday morning, a crash near Te Awamutu injured four people – three of them seriously – and closed part of SH3.

Director of Road Policing Superintendent Steve Greally said any death on the road is one too many, and we don’t want to have a repeat of last year’s road toll this year.

“We need everyone to play their part in reducing the amount of death and injury on the roads – Police and our road safety partners can only do so much.”

The official holiday period begins at 4pm on the Friday and ends at 6am on the Tuesday.

Heavy traffic expected

Based on previous years’ travel patterns, Waka Kotahi was predicting State Highway 1 at Kawakawa (South of Paihia/Bay of Islands), headed southbound, would see the heaviest traffic flow between 10.30am-2.30pm.

Southbound traffic between Puhoi and Wellsford was predicted to be at its highest between 11.30am-4pm, its website showed.

On State Highway 2, Waka Kotahi advised the heaviest westbound traffic between Paeroa and Waihi would likely be between 11am-4pm.

Southbound into Wellington, traffic at Remutaka Hill between Wellington and Featherston was set to be busy from 10.30am, and at its heaviest from 1.30pm-6.30pm.

Police earlier advised there would be a “significant, highly visible presence” on major highways over Labour Weekend, in an effort to deter unsafe driver behaviour.

Motorists are encouraged to visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz before they travel for real-time travel information, and updates on delays, roadworks and road closures.