Labour weekend traffic: Crashes across the country lead to road closures, delays

Saturday, 24 October 2020

Traffic was heavy at Auckland's southern and southwestern motorway interchange on Saturday.

Emergency services have had a busy start to Labour weekend, with a raft of crashes, including several serious collisions, across the country.

It follows warnings from travel authorities to take care on the roads during Labour weekend – Auckland’s first long weekend since lockdown restrictions lifted.

There were at least four crashes on State Highway 1 in Auckland between 10am and 11am, Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Dallas Ramsay said.

One of those crashes, between Great South Rd and Hill Rd, involved six vehicles, she said. One person reportedly suffered neck injuries.

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Another crash on the motorway between Great South Rd at Takanini involved four vehicles, however no injuries were reported.

As a result, traffic was crawling along the southbound lanes of the southern motorway between Manukau and Takanini about 11am.

There was also a heavy spot of traffic on the southern motorway near Epsom, following another four-car crash between Gillies Ave and Market Rd.

Traffic is heavy heading south on Auckland's northern motorway near Northcote Rd following a crash by Onewa Rd.

One person received an injury to their hand in the crash while another complained of chest pain, Ramsay said.

Google Maps showed the 31-kilometre journey from the CBD to Takanini was taking about 40 minutes, double what it usually takes.

A fourth crash, southbound on the northern motorway near Onewa Rd, was causing delays back to Northcote Rd. That congestion had cleared by early afternoon.

Further north, SH1 was heavily congested between Waiwera and Pūhoi, a hot spot for heavy traffic during long weekends.

Canterbury emergency services were also busy following a fatal crash on Tekapo-Twizel Rd (SH8) near the Lake Tekapo township.

Three others were taken to hospital with injuries.

“The road is blocked and extensive delays are expected,” the statement said.

Motorists should consider detouring through Waimate to Kurow, it said.

Police have asked Hastings motorists to avoid the intersection of Railway Rd South and Tollemache Rd West after a crash which saw a car flip about 1.50pm.

It’s not yet known whether anyone is injured.

A person has also been seriously injured after they were hit by a “heavy vehicle” on SH3 near Whanganui’s Westmere about 2pm.

“The road is closed and diversions are in place,” a police statement read.

The official Labour Weekend road toll is at three, following crashes in Gisborne and Upper Hutt on Friday, and the Tekapo crash.

The 2019 toll of one was the lowest since records began in 1956 and equals the previous lowest number of deaths, which was recorded in 2013.

The highest recorded number killed is 16, which was recorded in 1978.