The crash happened northbound shortly after 6am on Tuesday, just past the Greville Road off-ramp on State Highway 1, creating immediate gridlock ahead of the morning commute. Police confirmed that all northbound lanes were blocked as emergency responders rushed to the scene.
Impact and Motorway Blockage Near Albany
According to the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, the collision shut down all three lanes heading north after the Greville Road on-ramp. Traffic cameras positioned at the McClymont Road overbridge captured heavy congestion building across North Auckland as motorists confronted the sudden closure.
Emergency services urged drivers to avoid the area if possible and expect delays
, with transport officials pointing travelers toward specific detour routes, advising drivers to “Consider getting off the motorway at Greville Road and detour via Albany Expressway to get back on SH1 at Oteha Valley on-ramp.”
Witness Accounts of the Collision and Fire Response
Witnesses at the nearby Albany Bus Station described a violent impact. Lizelle Erasmus, who had just parked her car at the station, heard a loud bang and watched the truck-and-trailer strike the bus. The truck driver tried to manage the truck after the hit, and he went across the lines and stopped by the middle barrier of the motorway.
Erasmus recounted to 1News.
The force of the collision caused the truck’s trailer to flip onto its side, spilling gravel across the motorway lanes. Both vehicles sustained heavy damage, with the rear corner of the bus severely crushed. Erasmus noted that she saw smoke coming from the bus and the driver opening the doors, adding, I’m really glad the bus was empty – if someone was in the back, they would have been seriously injured or dead.
“Avoid the area if possible and expect delays.”
New Zealand Transport Agency, via RNZ and Indian Weekender
Fire and Emergency New Zealand initially dispatched three fire trucks to the scene. FENZ shift manager Colin Underdown reported that police closed the motorway northbound and took over traffic diversion duties, after which fire crews handed the operational scene back to police.
Clean-Up Operations and Reopening Timeline
Emergency crews spent hours clearing debris, spilled gravel, and the wrecked vehicles from the motorway. While initial estimates suggested a closure lasting at least a couple of hours, the complete clearance and investigation extended the disruption significantly.
By 11am, 1news confirming that clean-up work remained ongoing, though one northbound lane had finally been reopened to ease the backlog after more than four hours of total closure. Police confirmed that one person received minor injuries in the incident.
