Crash closes Southern Motorway southbound

5.48pm: Traffic is building up in central Auckland following a crash which closed part of the Southern motorway.

A person has serious injuries after a van and a truck collided between Mountain and Market Roads just before 4 this afternoon.

Two lanes of traffic on the motorway are closed as police work to separate the vehicles and removed the wreckages.

Northern communications Inspector Kerry Watson says traffic is really congested throughout Auckland city.

He says people travelling in the Newmarket area wanting to head south should avoid the motorway or try to enter further down.

4.43pm: The southbound lanes on Auckland's Southern Motorway is closed in the central city following a crash.

A van and truck have collided between Mountain and Market Roads.

Traffic is being diverted off the motorway and is already backed up as far as Spaghetti Junction.

For the latest traffic updates listen to Time Saver Traffic on Newstalk ZB on-air every 15 minutes, or visit our Time Saver Traffic Centre

Photo: Edward Swift