Truck hits wall at Horokiwi, delaying traffic for seven hours

Wellington.Scoop There were delays for traffic leaving Wellington this afternoon after a truck crashed into a wall on State Highway 2, just before the Horokiwi turn off, at 12:25pm.

The driver was taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

One northbound lane was blocked by the crash, and congestion soon developed – not only on SH2.

At 1.25, NZTA said traffic was backing up towards the Newlands on-ramp on the Ngauranga Gorge and on SH1 the urban motorway. It told motorists to expect 15 minute delays when travelling to Petone on SH1 and SH2.

At 2.25, when a heavy haulage vehicle arrived to remove the truck that had crashed, NZTA said motorists should “continue to expect delays” when travelling northbound on SH2 and on the SH1 Urban motorway and on the Ngauranga Gorge heading towards SH2.

At 3pm, NZTA reported that northbound traffic was backed past the Aotea Quay on-ramp and southbound traffic on SH1 was back to the Johnsonville on-ramp.

The blocked lane was not reopened till 4.25, when NZTA advised that “significant delays” were continuing.

At 5.15, the delays continued not only for traffic on SH2 but also in the Ngauranga Gorge.

At 7pm NZTA said motorists should continue to expect delays northbound on SH2 and southbound on the Ngauranga Gorge for road users taking the Hutt off-ramp.

NZTA issued a “final update” at 7.35, saying: Traffic has now cleared northbound on SH2 and SH1.