Traffic heading into and out of the city has become a heavily congested nightmare. NZTA has been forced to close half of the Auckland Harbour Bridge to make urgent repairs to a strut damaged from two truck crashes on Friday.

Those who commute to the city from our local area are faced with delays hours long, and traffic was backed up to Takapuna yesterday morning, as only two lanes are open heading in each direction.

However, there is one way to bypass this traffic: public transport. The Mahu City Express made the journey from Warkworth into the CBD in under an hour yesterday morning, despite the congestion. They are part of the AT traffic management plan that prioritises buses getting in and out of the city as rapidly as possible. The Mahu City Express is not expecting the delays those driving cars will face.

For new passengers, please note that booking is essential due to COVID health and safety regulations. All passengers are required to wear face masks. Booking can be made by downloading the Mahu City Express app and following the step by step instructions.

While repairs on the Harbour Bridge are taking place, Mahu City Express will be discontinuing the Parnell pick up in the evening to allow the quickest exit from the city. The first pick up will be 4.45pm on Commerce Street.

Auckland Harbour Bridge may will see a temporary solution today: a new piece for the bridge will be tested and if all goes well, there should be two new lanes opened by the end of the week.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Transport Services General Manager Brett Gliddon said they expected the work would take between two to three nights and the southbound lanes would be closed between 9.00 p.m. and 5.00 a.m.