Auckland Harbour Bridge crash: Four lanes could be shut for weeks

Friday, 18 September 2020

A truck has rolled on Auckland's Harbour Bridge as strong wind gusts hit.

Mayhem on Auckland roads continues amid motorway gridlock following a truck crash on Friday morning which could shut four lanes of the Harbour Bridge for weeks.

Two trucks were caught up in a 127 kilometre per hour wind gust about 11.10am on Friday.

City dwellers wanting to enjoy a Friday night spin from Grey Lynn to Northcote faced a journey of 30 minutes to traverse the 10km across the bridge, where traffic remained gridlocked as night fell.

Traffic on northbound lanes is backed up from the Harbour Bridge south past the Hopetoun Bridge.

One of the trucks toppled, while the other was blown sideways, hitting the bridge’s superstructure, before righting itself.

The toppled truck belonged to courier service Castle Parcels. General manager Michael Claydo said the driver was taken to hospital for a check-up and was “shaken” but not badly hurt.

State Highway 1 gridlocked about 6pm near Hopetoun Bridge after a crash on the Harbour Bridge on Friday.

State Highway 1 still gridlocked about 8pm near Hopetoun Bridge.

Two trucks caught in a 127kph wind gust on the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 2020 caused extensive damage to a load-bearing truss, and led to grid-lock while lanes were closed.

The incident saw traffic on the northern motorway at gridlock well into the afternoon.

The four middle lanes of the Auckland Harbour Bridge could be closed for weeks, leaving just two lanes in each direction in operation.

New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) senior journey manager Neil Walker said the second truck sheared off a steel upright when it struck the bridge.

The bridge is expected to have a significant reduction in capacity for several days and possibly weeks, with only the two outside lanes open in each direction.

“Our first assessment of the structural damage is that a permanent fix will be a long term process and the four lanes across the centre span of the bridge will remain closed to traffic for at least several days and potentially weeks,” Walker said.

The NZTA is looking into whether a temporary repair is possible, however this won't be known until the weekend.

A 127km/ph wind gust blew a truck over on the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Friday, prompting hours of gridlock traffic on the northern motorway.

Walker added that there are no concerns regarding the bridge’s overall integrity and safety.

“Congestion on the road network is inevitable as we assess the damage and the necessary repairs.”

On average, more than 170,000 vehicles cross the bridge on weekdays.

The NZTA recommended Aucklanders avoid the bridge by working from home or taking an alternative route, such as the Western Ring Route (SH20, SH16 and SH18).

The northern busway is unaffected, Walker said.

“Waka Kotahi understands this will cause inconvenience and disruption … and thanks motorists for their patience. We’re working to ensure the bridge can be back in operation as quickly [as possible].”