Auckland's Christmas getaway: When and where holiday traffic will be at its worst

Thursday, 19 December 2019

For Aucklanders heading north, traffic between Puhoi and Wellsford is expected to be busy from Friday until December 24 (file photo).

Holidaymakers are being warned to plan their Christmas journeys, with traffic expected to be busy heading in and out of Auckland from Friday until the new year.

The New Zealand Transport Agency's (NZTA) summer holiday journey planner predicts the roads will be congested until the end of December.

A spokesman for the NZTA warned traffic would be 'reasonably busy' from Thursday evening, over the weekend and into early next week.

Traffic will be 'reasonably busy' from Thursday evening, over the weekend and into early next week (file photo).

He said the opening of extra lanes on the southern motorway should help with the Christmas exodus out of the city.

* It's time to get tough on tourist drivers

* These car safety systems lead to distracted driving, according to AAA study**

For Aucklanders heading north, traffic between Puhoi and Wellsford is expected to be busy from Friday until December 24.

There will be a brief reprieve on Christmas Day, before congestion returns until the end of December.

Traffic is predicted to be the worst on Friday, with State Highway 1 busy from 11am until 8pm. Between noon and 7pm, traffic may be at its heaviest.

The opening of extra lanes on the southern motorway should help with the Christmas exodus out of the city, the NZTA says (file photo).

For the following three days it was expected to be busiest from about 10am through till 4pm.

Congestion may be exacerbated by several construction sites along the route, the NZTA has warned.

Construction workers will not be active, but temporary speed limits through the sites will remain in place.

The NZTA is advising motorists to be patient, drive to the conditions and maintain a safe following distance (file photo).

'Temporary speed restrictions will remain in place due to the narrower lanes, road cones and barriers throughout our work sites,' Jacqui Hori-Hoult, NZTA's Northland system manager, said.

For those travelling out of Northland, there will be 'regular traffic' from Friday right up until Boxing Day, when the roads will be busy for the following three days from 11am until the early afternoon.

Heading south from Auckland, the heaviest traffic is expected at Takanini on Friday from noon till 7pm and 10am to 5pm on Saturday.

For flyers, Auckland Airport's busiest day will also be Friday, with more than 60,000 people expected to be in the air.

Police said the Friday before Christmas was one of the worst for drink-driving and warned it would be out in force breath testing people to ensure they were not behind the wheel tipsy or drunk.

With the holiday traffic in mind, the NZTA is advising motorists to be patient, drive to the conditions and maintain a safe following distance.

Overtaking will be futile and unlikely to make a significant difference to one's journey time due to the amount of traffic expected over the weekend.

Holidaymakers should check their vehicles are in good health before they head off and remember to take regular breaks, the NZTA said.

International road safety charity Brake called on New Zealand drivers to give the road their full attention and avoid taking risks if heading away over the holiday period.

The charity also urged drivers to make sure their vehicle is fit for the road before setting off by checking tyre pressure and tread depth, oil and water levels, windscreen wipers, and making sure that lights and indicators are working.

Drivers should also plan their journey in advance to ensure they have plenty of time to reach their destination so they do not feel rushed and take breaks every two hours on long journeys.

Over the Christmas/New Year period in 2018/2019, there were 73 crashes on Auckland's roads. Two people died and 98 people were injured, 18 seriously.