New Zealand holiday makers once again faced long slow traffic queues heading north from Auckland. At one stage the snail paced traffic was reported to be over 7 km long. The peak usually is on Saturday morning north just before Warkworth but Friday late afternoon traffic conditions were equally as bad.
Recently land Transport NZ completed the Northern Gateway toll road to help alleviate congestion by bypass the town of Orewa. Although Transport NZ boasts that the new road would reduces delays, congestion and travel times, improves access to Northland for tourists and provides people with a much more direct and safer route between Auckland and Northland.
A free flowing highway is only as good as its weakest point. Unfortunately it is obvious for all regular uses of State highway one north of Auckland that thew new toll road would do little to help ease traffic congestion during the holiday rush periods.