Two trucks were hit by high winds on the Auckland Harbour Bridge this morning, with one tipping over and the other hitting part of the bridge before carrying on.
The truck tipped just after 11am today and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) advised motorists trying to cross the bridge that they would likely be delayed while it's cleared away.
An NZTA spokesperson said the truck was hit by an unexpectedly strong gust of wind and has fallen into the moveable barrier.
At the same time, another truck carrying a shipping container in the southbound lanes had been hit by wind and tipped over into the bridge's superstructure, but had landed on its wheels and continued to drive.
Some damage has been reported to a vertical upright column on the bridge, and NZTA says the centre lanes of the bridge will be kept closed until the damage is assessed and repaired.
"That’s affecting lanes in both directions in the centre span of the bridge and traffic is backing up," the spokesperson said.
"We're working as quickly as possible to remove the truck, but motorists are advised to expect delays and to avoid the area if possible.
"Consider using the Western Ring Route (SH16 and SH18) around the harbour to avoid using SH1 And the bridge."
Friday traffic is snarled around the Auckland motorway system as authorities try to remove one of the trucks.
NZTA said the northbound lanes will be closed for a time while the crashed truck is towed away.
There are currently no strong wind warnings or watches in place for the Auckland region from MetService, but strong winds averaging up to 41km/h were forecast today around noon.
A strong front passed over Auckland around the time of the incident.
NZTA said their measurements indicated that winds around the time briefly reached 127km/h.
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