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The chaos on Auckland’s roads continues amid a motorway jam following a truck accident on Friday morning that could close four lanes of the Harbor Bridge for weeks.
Two trucks were caught in a 127-kilometer-per-hour gust of wind around 11.10 a.m. Friday.
City dwellers wanting to enjoy a Friday night loop from Gray Lynn to Northcote faced a 30-minute drive to traverse the 10 km across the bridge, where traffic remained stagnant as night fell.
Traffic in the northbound lanes is backed up from the Southbound Harbor Bridge past the Hopetoun Bridge.
One of the trucks flipped over, while the other flew sideways, hitting the bridge’s superstructure, before straightening out.
The overturned truck belonged to Castle Parcels courier service. General manager Michael Claydo said the driver was taken to the hospital for a checkup and was “shaken” but not seriously injured.
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* Chaos on Auckland Harbor Bridge: overturned truck causes traffic jams on motorways
The incident caused traffic on the north highway to jam well into the afternoon.
New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) senior travel manager Neil Walker said the second truck fell off a steel stud when it hit the bridge.
Nigel Horrocks / Supplied
State Highway 1 got stuck around 6 p.m. near the Hopetoun Bridge after an accident at the Harbor Bridge on Friday.
The bridge is expected to see a significant reduction in capacity over several days and possibly weeks, with only the two outer lanes open in each direction.
Nigel Horrocks / Stuff
State Highway 1 was still stuck around 8pm near the Hopetoun Bridge.
“Our first assessment of structural damage is that a permanent repair will be a long-term process and the four lanes along the central span of the bridge will be closed to traffic for at least several days and possibly weeks,” Walker said.
Supplied
Structural damage to the Auckland Harbor Bridge could cause all four center lanes to be closed for weeks.
The NZTA is investigating whether a temporary repair is possible, however this will not be known until the weekend.
Walker added that there are no concerns regarding the overall integrity and safety of the bridge.
NZTA / Supplied
The central four lanes of the Auckland Harbor Bridge could be closed for weeks, leaving only two lanes in each direction in operation.
“Congestion on the road network is inevitable as we assess the damage and necessary repairs.”
On average, more than 170,000 vehicles cross the bridge on weekdays.
The NZTA recommended that Auckland residents avoid the bridge by working from home or taking an alternative route, such as the Western Ring Route (SH20, SH16 and SH18).
The northern busway is not affected, Walker said.
“Waka Kotahi understands that this will cause inconvenience and disruption… and thanks the drivers for their patience. We are working to ensure that the bridge can be operational again as soon as possible. [as possible]. “
Chris McKeen / Stuff
A 127km / ph wind gust blew a truck off the Auckland Harbor Bridge on Friday, causing hours of stagnant traffic on the Northern Highway.
