Auckland Harbour Bridge: More signs added to closed on-ramp after long delays

Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Waka Kotahi general manager transport services Brett Gliddon on the next steps for Auckland's Harbour Bridge

Extra signs have been installed in Ponsonby, near Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, in a bid to stop a repeat of Monday night’s traffic chaos.

Streets in the central Auckland suburb were badly clogged on Monday night after the Curran St off-ramp was closed to create a “bus priority lane”.

The middle four lanes of the bridge for repairs are closed following a crash on Friday which damaged its superstructure.

There was slow traffic on the Beaumont St on-ramp on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday afternoon, and well into the evening, traffic was almost at a standstill on Shelly Beach Rd, Jervois Rd, College Hill and Beaumont St as motorists tried to navigate the new changes.

Delays on the Northern motorway continued past 6.30pm on Tuesday.

* Harbour bridge damage: City on-ramp closure adds to widespread evening delays

* Harbour bridge closure: Work on temporary fix to reopen lanes to start on Tuesday

* Auckland Harbour Bridge middle lanes 'not safe' after crash but no risk of collapse

Slow traffic could be seen on Spaghetti Junction heading north towards the Bridge.

Traffic was also slow on College Hill on Tuesday afternoon.

A New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) spokesman acknowledged the closure of the on-ramp caused congestion in the area on Monday, but said it would stay closed on Tuesday.

”Buses on the priority lane are merging with motorway traffic from the right-hand side at the same point as the Curran Street on-ramp.

“If the on-ramp was open, this would add merging traffic from the left and would be unsafe for motorists and buses.”

There have been massive delays in Auckland city and on the Northern motorway since the Harbour Bridge was damaged on Friday.

The spokesman said additional signage had been added to roads in Ponsonby leading to the on-ramp and encouraged motorists to use the Fanshawe St on-ramp instead.

Curran Street is now closed at the corner of Sarsfield Street to reduce the risk of congestion on Westhaven Drive.

NZTA would be monitoring the situation, the spokesman said.

By 5pm on Tuesday traffic heading out of Auckland city towards the bridge was at a crawl around the central suburbs, particularly at the Fanshawe St onramp as motorists tried to get onto the motorway.

However, Congestion near to Curran St had eased since Monday night.

Auckland commuters have been facing massive delays region-wide after the freak accident on Friday.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) announced on Monday afternoon that work on a temporary fix, which could reopen some lanes, will begin on Tuesday night.

Brett Gliddon, NZTA’s general manager of transport services, said the repair work means southbound clip-on lanes will be closed overnight from Tuesday for about two nights.

A detour will be in place via the Western Ring Route.

During the Tuesday closure, there will be no bus services over the bridge either northbound or southbound.

“If you are leaving the city after 9pm tonight, you will not be able to use normal bus services, due to buses not being able to return to the city,” Auckland Transport said.

“Instead you need to use the Birkenhead Ferry, departing from the Downtown Ferry Terminal at Pier 1.

“At Birkenhead, buses will meet the ferry and transfer you to Akoranga Station. From Akoranga Station you can catch your normal bus service home.”

Additional Birkenhead ferry services have been put in place during the closure.

They leave the city at 7:10pm, 8:10pm, 9:10pm, 10:10pm, and 11:10pm.

They leave Birkenhead at 7:25pm, 8:25pm, 9:25pm, 10:25pm and 11:25pm.

If the work is not completed on Tuesday night, it will continue on Wednesday night, Auckland Transport said.