Holiday traffic: SH1 congestion until 20:00 Christmas Eve, transport agency warns

Congestion is not expected to subside until 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve for Wellington tourists heading north from the capital.

At 11 a.m. M., Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington reported that there were still significant northbound delays on State Highway 1 (SH1) between Waikanae Beach and Ōtaki, with queues increasing at Te Horo and Peka Peka.

One driver commented that traffic had been slow for about two hours north of Paraparaumu, with cars traveling at a speed of around 10 km / h.

The same route had been heavily congested Wednesday, and the agency reported that traffic did not decrease until 7 p.m.

Unlike Wednesday, Paekākāriki Hill would be open on Christmas Eve.

Earlier in the day, the transportation agency had also asked commuters to plan ahead for road works on SH1 at Mackays Crossing.

With the Wellington region also experiencing wet weather on Thursday, MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferries advised travelers to allow enough time to drive based on conditions.