Summer traffic: When our roads are expected to be busiest during the holidays

Thursday, 24 December 2020

The Coromandel Adventure includes Driving Creek Railway, the Coromandel Coastal Walk and the Lost Spring (video first published in December 2020).

Based on summers past, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has put together a web page showing the stretches of highway it expects will be busiest this holiday period – and when it expects traffic to be at its heaviest.

It’s predicting the roads will be particularly busy because few of us have been able to go overseas due to Covid-19 restrictions. But the picture is complicated because international visitors haven’t been coming here.

So, as well as encouraging travellers to plan journeys using its predictions about which highways will be busiest and when, NZTA is urging people to check its real time updates before they set off.

Here are the stretches of highway NZTA expects to be most affected by holiday traffic, and when it expects traffic on those stretches to be heaviest:

**READ MORE:

A new motorway is being built to speed travel between Auckland and Northland, but this summer holidaymakers will be stuck with the inadequate existing highway.

* Holiday exodus out of Wellington: Traffic remains heavy with significant delays across region

* Bilingual road signs in Aotearoa New Zealand would tell us where we are as a nation

* How to switch off and get a break during Christmas holidays

Traffic at a standstill on SH1 between Waikanae Beach and Åtaki on Wednesday

Auckland:

SH1 Puhoi-Wellsford northbound: Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 10.30am-6pm, Monday 11am-5.30pm, Tuesday 9.30am-3.30pm, Wednesday 9am-3pm, Saturday January 2 2.30-3.30pm.

SH1 Puhoi-Wellsford southbound: Sunday 11am-1pm, Friday January 1 9.30am-5pm, Saturday January 2 9.30am-7.30pm, Sunday January 3 11am-7pm.

SH1 Manukau-Bombay southbound: Sunday 10am-12.30pm, Monday 10.30am to 12.30pm, Tuesday 10am-noon, Wednesday 10.30am-12.30pm.

The main route south from Christchurch has been significantly improved but it only covers part of the trip between the city and Ashburton.

SH1 Manukau-Bombay northbound: Sunday January 3 noon-5pm.

Wellington:

SH1 Peka Peka-Otaki northbound: Thursday 1-5.30pm, Friday 10am-noon, Saturday 10am-noon, Sunday 9am-1pm, Monday 10am-noon, Wednesday 11am-12.30pm, Saturday January 2 11am-1pm.

SHI Peka Peka-Otaki southbound: Sunday 2-6pm, Monday 3-6pm, Tuesday 2-6pm, Wednesday 2-5pm, Thursday December 31 3-5pm, Saturday January 2 1.30-7pm, Sunday January 3 1-6pm.

SH2 Remutaka Hill northbound: Saturday 11am-noon, Sunday 10am-noon, Monday 10-11.30am, Tuesday 10.30-11.30am, Wednesday 10.30am-noon, Saturday January 2 10-11am.

SH2 Remutaka Hill southbound: Saturday January 2 2-5pm, Sunday January 3 3.30-4.30pm.

Canterbury:

SH1 Ashburton-Christchurch southbound: Thursday 10.30am-12.30pm, Friday 10.30-11.30am, Saturday 11.30am-2pm, Sunday 10am-1pm, Monday 10am-noon, Tuesday 10.30-11.30am, Wednesday 10.30am-1pm, Saturday January 2 10.30am-noon, Sunday January 3 10.30am-noon.

SH1 Ashburton-Christchurch northbound: Sunday January 2 1-5pm, Sunday January 3 2.30-5pm.

SH1 Kaikōura northbound: Sunday 1.30-2.30pm, Monday 1-2pm.

SH1 Kaikōura southbound: Saturday January 2 11am-3.30pm, Sunday January 3 11am-2.30pm.

SH1 Timaru southbound: Thursday 10.30am-12.30pm, Saturday 11.30am-3.30pm, Sunday 11am -3pm.

SH1 Timaru northbound: Saturday January 2 11.30am-3.30pm.

SH1 Waimakariri northbound: Friday 10.30am-12.30pm, Saturday 10.30am-noon, Sunday 10am-4pm, Monday 10am-4pm, Tuesday 10.30am-4pm, Wednesday 10am-12.30pm, Saturday January 2 10am-5.30pm, Sunday January 32.30-6pm.

SH1 Waimakariri southbound Friday 11am-12.30pm, Saturday 11am-noon.

SH1 Waipara northbound: Saturday 11am-noon, Sunday 9am-1pm, Monday 9.30am-1pm, Tuesday 10am-noon, Wednesday 10am-noon, Saturday January 2 9am-12.30pm, Sunday 10-11am.

SH1 Waipara southbound: Saturday January 2 1-6.30pm, Sunday January 3 1.30-5.30pm.

SH7 Lewis Pass westbound: Saturday 11am-noon, Sunday 11.30am-12.30pm.

SH7 Lewis Pass eastbound: Saturday January 2 noon-5.30pm, Sunday 1-3pm.

SH75 Akaroa Peninsula eastbound: Sunday 9am-1.30pm, Monday 10.30am-12.30pm, Tuesday 10.30am-noon, Wednesday 10am-noon, Thursday December 31 10.30am-noon, Friday January 1 9.30am-1.30pm, Saturday January 2 9.30-11am.

SH75 Akaroa Peninsula westbound: Friday January 1 2.30-6.30pm, Saturday January 2 4-5.30pm, Sunday January 3 4-5.30pm.

State Highway 1 at Karapiro is expected to be under pressure these holidays.

SH79 Geraldine westbound: Saturday noon-1.30pm, Sunday 10.30am-3pm, Monday 11am-12.30pm, Tuesday 11am-1pm.

SH79 Geraldine eastbound: Friday January 1 3-7.30pm, Saturday January 2 noon-6pm, Sunday January 31.30-4.30pm.

Northland:

SH1 Kawakawa northbound: Thursday 11am-1.30pm, Saturday 11am-12.30pm, Sunday 10.45am-2pm.

SH1 Kawakawa southbound: Wednesday 11.45am-1.15pm, Thursday December 31 11.30am-1.45pm, Friday January 1 12.30-2.30pm, Saturday January 2 12.30-2.30pm, Saturday January 3 10.30am-3pm.

State Highway 2 between Paeroa and Waihi will be another busy stretch of highway this summer.

SH1 Whangarei northbound: Thursday 11am-3pm, Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm.

SH1 Whangarei southbound: Thursday 10.30am-noon, Sunday 11.30am-12.30pm, Wednesday 11.30am-12.30pm, Thursday December 31 11.30am-1pm, Saturday January 2 10am-12.30pm, Sunday January 3 11.30am-6.30pm.

Waikato:

SH25 Tairua northbound: Sunday 1-3pm, Tuesday 2.30-3pm, Wednesday noon-2pm.

SH1 Tirau-Karapiro southbound: Saturday 9.30am-1pm, Sunday 9am-1pm, Monday 10am-noon, Tuesday 9am-12.30pm, Saturday January 2 9am-12.30pm, Sunday January 3 10.30-11.30am.

SH1 Tirau-Karapiro northbound: Saturday January 2 noon-6.30pm, Sunday January 3 11.30am-5.30pm.

SH2 Pokeno-Maramarua eastbound: Saturday 10-11am, Sunday 8.30am-12.30pm, Wednesday 9.30am-1pm, Saturday January 2 10am-noon.

SH2 Pokeno-Maramarua westbound: Saturday January 2 1-2.30pm, Sunday January 3 1.30-7.30pm.

State Highway 1 from Taihape to Waiouru will be busy at times.

Bay of Plenty:

SH2 Paeroa-Waihi eastbound: Sunday 1-2.30pm, Saturday January 2 10.30am-noon

SH2 Paeroa-Waihi westbound: Saturday January 2 11am-2.30pm.

SH2 Tauranga-Katikati southbound: Saturday 1-3.30pm, Sunday 1.30-3.30pm, Monday 12.30-2pm, Thursday December 31 3-5pm, Friday January 1 3-5pm, Saturday January 2 10am-5pm, Sunday January 3 11am-3pm.

SH2 Tauranga-Katikati northbound: Friday January 1 noon-2.30pm, Saturday January 2 11am-2pm, Sunday January 3 noon-1.30pm.

SH29 Kaimai eastbound: Friday 10.30am-noon, Saturday 10.30am-3pm, Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm, Saturday January 2 10am-2pm.

SH29 Kaimai westbound: Friday 10-11am.

Hawke’s Bay:

SH5 Te Pohue eastbound: Sunday 9.30am-1.30pm, Monday 10.30-11.30am, Tuesday 10.30-11.30am, Wednesday 10.30am-noon, Saturday January 2 10am-12.30pm.

Traffic is also expected to get heavy on State Highway 6 from Blenheim to Nelson.

Manawatū-Whanganui:

SH2 Norsewood southbound: Sunday 12.30-2.30pm, Monday 12.30-2.30pm.

SH2 Norsewood northbound: Saturday January 2 11.30am-12.30pm.

SH1 Taihape-Waiouru northbound: Sunday 9.30am-3.30pm, Monday 10.30am-3pm.

SH1 Taihape-Waiouru southbond: Saturday January 2 12.30pm-3.30pm.

Taranaki:

SH3 Mt Messenger northbound: Sunday 10.30am-noon, Monday 10.30am-noon, Tuesday 10.30-11.30am, Wednesday 11am-12.30pm.

Nelson and Marlborough:

SH60 Motueka westbound: Monday4-5pm, Tuesday 3.30-5.30pm, Wednesday 3.30-5.30pm, Saturday January 2 1-5pm.

SH60 Motueka eastbound: Tuesday 9am-2pm, Thursday December 31 11.30am-12.30pm, Saturday January 2 9.30am-2pm.

Tasman:

SH6 Nelson-Blenheim westbound: Saturday 1.30-2.30pm, Sunday 11.30am-2pm, Monday 11.30am-3.30pm, Tuesday 11.30am-4pm, Wednesday 11am-3pm, Thursday December 31 11am-3pm, Saturday January 2 11am-4.30pm.

SH6 Nelson-Blenheim eastbound: Sunday 10-11am, Monday 10-11am, Tuesday 10-11am, Wednesday 10-11am, Saturday January 2 9am-12.30pm, Sunday January 3 9am-12.30pm.

SH6 Murchison southbound: Sunday January 3 noon-2pm.

West Coast:

SH6 Franz Josef Glacier southbound: Monday 9.30-10.30am, Wednesday 10-11.30am.

Otago:

SH6 Queenstown eastbound: Monday 11am-4.30pm, Tuesday 11am-noon, Friday January 1 10.30am-4.30pm, Saturday January 2 10am-2.30pm.

SH6 Queenstown westbound: Wednesday 9.30am-4.30pm, Thursday December 31 10.30am-3.30pm.

SH8 east of Wanaka southbound: Sunday 2.30-4.30pm, Monday 1-5pm, Tuesday 12.30-4.30pm, Wednesday 12.30-4.30pm.

SH8 east of Wanaka northbound: Friday January 1 11.30am-5.30pm, Saturday January 2 9.30am-2.30pm.