Traffic heading out of Auckland is heavily congested across the motorway network this evening as holidaymakers start to flee the city.

A crash in a southbound lane of the Southern Motorway between Takanini and Papakura at 3.25pm had left “residual delays” for motorists, the New Zealand Transport Agency said.

Live traffic data available on Google Maps, meanwhile, showed congestion was heavy in southbound lanes from Drury back to the central city.

Northbound traffic on the Northern Motorway was moderate-to-heavy from Silverdale back to the central city, with an isolated spot of free-moving traffic near Constellation Drive.

Southbound traffic on the Southwestern Motorway, meanwhile, was badly congested from the junction with the Southern back to the Waterview Tunnel.

Am I going to get stuck in traffic if I try to escape the city?

To help keep journeys flowing, major roadworks generally pause during holiday weekends but NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s Journey Planner has identified several choke points where traffic will likely build up at peak times this weekend.

Traffic on SH1 southbound between Wellsford and Pūhoi is expected to be at its heaviest between 2pm and 4pm on Monday.

From Manukau to Bombay on SH1 there were several periods where traffic was predicted to be heavy and slow-moving, the transport agency warned. Heading south, traffic was expected to be busy from 7.30am through to 8pm on Friday, before peaking between 9am and 11am on Saturday.

Northbound traffic will be busy between noon and 6pm on Sunday and from 11am through to 3pm Monday as Aucklanders return home.

Acting director of road policing, Inspector Peter McKennie, urged motorists to put safety first this weekend and take their time, drive to the conditions and be patient.

“So many of the crashes we’ve attended this year have been preventable, and that’s a tragedy.”

Motorists can expect extra police to be patrolling the roads across the King’s Birthday weekend period, with McKennie signalling officers would be on the watch for infringements related to restraints, impairment through the likes of alcohol and drugs, distractions such as cellphones, and speed.

“Those are four areas we’re targeting because we know it can save lives. A split-second decision can be the difference between life and death.”