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The Auckland Harbor Bridge will reopen after strong gusts of wind forced it to close on Tuesday morning.
Three lanes will open in each direction.
The closure has caused significant traffic delays on Auckland’s motorway networks.
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The Waka Kotahi NZ Transportation Agency said all lanes on the bridge were temporarily closed just before 7 a.m. Tuesday, after the available lanes were reduced to three and then two.
The restrictions come after MetService previously warned that a cold front at dawn could bring heavy rain and gusts of between 70 and 90 km / h in Auckland.
MetService meteorologist Dan Corrigan said the winds in Auckland were “quite stormy” at this time and were not expected to abate until late afternoon or early Tuesday night.
He said the wind speed on the Harbor Bridge had been around 57km / h, but had hit 95km / h gusts just before 7am
Corrigan added that the strong wind trend would continue into the evening, although no severe weather alerts or warnings were expected.
RYAN ANDERSON / Stuff
The Harbor Bridge has been closed due to strong gusts of wind (file photo).
NZTA said the bridge had been closed to ensure the safety of the drivers and the bridge itself while it was damaged and in a compromised state.
“The bridge team is working closely with MetService to get advice on when it is safe to reopen the lanes.
“Waka Kotahi recognizes that closing lanes on the bridge will cause major disruption and inconvenience, however safety is our highest priority and lane closures will be lifted as soon as it is safe to do so.”
NZTA / Supplied
Traffic heading into town on the North Freeway could be seen at a slow pace near Tristram Ave.
The sudden closure of the bridge caused traffic to pile up on the highway network, particularly on the North Highway and the Western Ring Route (WRR).
Shortly before 8 a.m., motorists traveling into the city from Silverdale spent nearly two hours on the WRR. On a normal day, it would take half an hour.
With heavy congestion, the NZTA urged people to work from home whenever possible and avoid unnecessary travel.
He advised motorists to use the western ring route via SH16 and SH18 as an alternative to SH1 and the bridge.
Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
The damage to the Harbor Bridge was caused by a gust of wind that blew over a truck onto one of the bridge’s steel struts.
Auckland Transport spokesman Mark Hannan reminded travelers that ferries and trains were running as usual, but that not much could be done to alleviate the situation immediately.
However, several bus services would be delayed and canceled due to the bridge closure.
”Large delays and cancellations are expected throughout the bus network.
“Today is going to be a long, slow ride for everyone,” Hannan said.
Supplied
Some motorists on their way to work have been stranded near the bridge due to its sudden closure.
On Monday, the NZTA said lanes on the bridge could close on short notice due to the wind.
That morning, he said he would not hesitate to close some lanes or the entire bridge for “short periods of time” for safety reasons if wind gusts exceed 80 km / h.
Neil Walker, the agency’s senior travel manager, warned that closures could occur in “a very short time.”
