Agency warns drivers about possible congestion around new tunnel — but Monday rush-hour traffic flows freely

UPDATE: July 3, 8am: Following congestion caused by rubber-neckers today, NZTA last night issued a warning for Auckland motorists planning on using the new Waterview Tunnel on Monday morning. 

NZTA's Auckland highway manager Brett Gliddon, said motorists should allow plenty of extra time and be patient, due to people not being familiar with the new layout.

"It's going to take a while for it to all settle down," Mr Gliddon said in a clip posted to social media (see below).

So far, fears have been unfounded (albeit in part perhaps because drivers were warned off).

At 8..15am this morning, in the teeth of rush hour, NZTA said traffic was flowinig freely in both directions through the tunnel.

Social media posts from Monday morning drivers backed that up (context for out-of-towners: the words "Monday morning" and "free flowing" almost never appear in any tweet about Auckland motorway traffic between 6.30am and 9.30am on a Monday morning).

Can confirm it was totally uncongested both ways shortly after 7.30am.

— Russell Brown (@publicaddress) July 2, 2017

Point Chev 7.31am --> Airport 7.59am. Saved 5-7 minutes via #WaterviewTunnel

— Russell Brown (@publicaddress) July 2, 2017

Had a dream run to town this morning from West. My hope is that if the tunnel even takes 20% of the traffic headed for the SH1 link-great!

— Nish J (@DailyDoseOfNish) July 2, 2017

Auckland's $1.4b tunnel finally opens to traffic — drive-through video
UPDATE July 2, 9am:Auckland's $1.4 billion, 2.4km, six-lane Waterview Tunnel finally opened overnight.

NBR took a drive through early Sunday morning and took a live-streaming video (below) which attracted 4000+ views — this 5km (total) piece of motorway is a popular piece of infrastructure for Aucklanders who've hated the rat-run through city streets to rejoin the ring route. Around 55,000 walked through on a series of open days.

This morning, traffic was at a metronomic 80km in the three lanes of the southbound tube.

But things were less well behaved when NBR drove back through the northbound tube. There's a no-lane-change view, but as drivers near the end of the tunnel, they realise they have to be in the right lane as the exit forks east and west. One driver was incessantly beeping as they tried to get into the right lane. A cop car that had been casing the northbound entrance suddenly zoomed through at a rate of knots, adding to the drama. It was not immediately clear who it was pursuing, or why, but its police lights strobed of the sides and roof of the tunnel in psychedelic fashion.

In the video below, locals may find the signs in the lead-up interesting (beyond lane instructions, they include a prohibition on "dangerous goods", though it is not clear what constitutes dangerous. Nuclear weapons? Sandwiches containing gluten?). Others can skip to the to around 1'30" for the tunnel bit.

Those outside Auckland may want to skip it altogether judging by social media feedback. And cycle lanes are conspicuous by their absence. But for those in the 09 who love their car, being able to warp jump from Point Chev to Mt Albert generates quite a roading thrill.

Mobile data enthusiasts will note NBR could get a five-bar 4G signal throughout its drive-through, which would have supported an HD video livestream (pity Twitter was not that up to snuff).

Waterview drive-thru livestream https://t.co/DOTCxqWPLv

— Chris Keall (@ChrisKeall) July 1, 2017

Auckland Transport is warning people to allow extra time if they plan to use the tunnel on Monday morning.

Auckland Highway Manager Brett Gliddon gives us a reminder of what to expect during #WaterviewTunnel's first Monday morning peak. pic.twitter.com/5VWMxOuqpW

— NZTA Akld & Nthlnd (@NZTAAkl) July 2, 2017

Waterview will open early July, Bridges says

UPDATE June 11: Auckland's $1.4 billion Waterview tunnel will finally open to traffic in early July, says Transport Minister Simon Bridges.

A series of public walk-through and bike-through events will be held in the lead up to the operational opening of the tunnel to traffic.

The events will be free but people will need to book their place online by visiting www.nzta.govt.nz/waterview

Appropriately for a new element of the Auckland traffic system, the tunnel experience will be a crowded one. 

Within a few hours, 22,000 had booked tickets.

Waterview Tunnel will open in weeks, Finance Minister says
EARLIER/May 26: Finance Minister Steven Joyce says Auckland's Waterview tunnel could be open in a matter of weeks.

Speaking at a Grant Thornton Post-Budget breakfast, Mr Joyce said problems with the tunnel's IT system had caused the delay and he was waiting on a final opening date from the NZ Transport Agency.

The $1.4 billion Waterview Connection had been originally intended to open in April but was said to be stalled by faulty fire sprinklers and ventilation fans.

Mr Joyce said a final opening date depended on further tests of the equipment and systems that had been fixed.

"The moment Waterview is open it will make a massive difference on getting to the airport. It's a long-needed motorway link."

The Waterview Connection includes two 2.4km tunnels providing a new six-lane motorway link between SH16 and SH20 to complete Auckland’s Western Ring route.

It is the country’s largest and most complex tunnelling and transportation infrastructure project to date.

The tunnel was built under an alliance agreement, which means both NZTA and the building consortium, which includes Fletcher Construction, share the cost of the delay.