A severe wind watch is in place for the Auckland Harbour Bridge and a severe thunderstorm watch overnight tonight.
Metservice forecasts wind gusts could reach 80-100km/h between 8pm Sunday and 10pm Monday, which may result in speed restrictions, lane closures or a full bridge closure.
A full closure of a longer duration may be necessary on Monday morning and is likely to cause congestion across the network. Motorists should expect long delays and avoid non-essential travel.
The moveable lane barrier will remain in 4x4 on Monday.
Drivers of high sided vehicles and motorcyclists are advised to avoid the Auckland Harbour Bridge and use the western ring route on State Highways 16 and 18.
Motorists are urged to drive to the conditions, look out for the electronic message boards which will indicate lane closures and reduced speeds, and stay within their lane while travelling across the bridge.
Waka Kotahi is working closely with Metservice to monitor wind speeds with maintenance crews out on the network ready to react and close lanes on the bridge if wind gusts exceed threshold levels. The safety of road users is our top priority and we won’t hesitate to reduce speeds, close lanes or close the bridge if necessary.
Please plan ahead by checking the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner or the Waka Kotahi Twitter account before heading out.
High winds could cause delays or cancellations to public transport. To keep up to date on public transport, follow the AT Travel Alerts on Twitter.
Information on weather warnings and watches is available from Metservice.
Waka Kotahi Journey Planner(external link)
Waka Kotahi - Auckland Facebook(external link)
