Huge smoke cloud from car fire on Auckland motorway reduces traffic to a crawl

A large plume of smoke from a car on fire covered a main motorway in Auckland this morning, causing traffic to slow to a crawl.

In a Twitter pos t this morning, Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland urged motorists to pass with care and expect delays.

"A car fire just prior to the southbound Neilson St off-ramp has reduced visibility on the Southwestern Mwy," the agency said.

The fire began around 7.40am, but by 8.20am NZTA said the incident had been fully cleared.