A stretch of Auckland's northern motorway will close overnight on Tuesday after the road surface lifted and caused a "significant speed bump".
The uneven road surface on State Highway 1 between Greville Rd and Upper Harbour Highway lifted on Tuesday afternoon at about 2pm.
NZTA warned earlier that traffic would build and cause congestion in the area. Live data from Google Maps shows traffic has built up from where the road has lifted near Rosedale on the North Shore, and there are queues south over the Harbour Bridge and to Spaghetti Junction.
Takapuna and Milford are currently at a standstill, and a Newshub reporter said it took one hour to drive from Esmonde Rd to Milford.
NZTA now says the right-hand lane in both directions on SH1 will remain closed for the rest of the day.
There are two lanes open in each direction and long delays are expected for the rest of the evening peak period. Motorists are asked to avoid the motorway and use alternative routes and local roads where possible, NZTA Auckland system manager Andrea Williamson says.
Road crews will make repairs on Tuesday night.
All motorway lanes will be closed in both directions from 9pm on Tuesday from SH1 Upper Harbour Highway to Greville Road Interchange. Motorists are asked to follow the detour signs.
All motorway lanes are expected to open to traffic at 5am on Wednesday.
"Repairs cannot start immediately because of the amount of traffic on the motorway. We have to prioritise the safety of our crews who would be working alongside live motorway lanes," she says.
An investigation found the uneven surface was caused by road construction crews working under the raised motorway section, according to NZTA. They were pumping grouting material which became blocked and seeped out under the road surface, causing it to lift.
The repair will involve stripping the road surface, removing the grout material, and then paving it with asphalt.
