A resident, who did not want to be named, contacted Mountain Scene last Wednesday after being stuck in traffic for more than 30 minutes trying to head south across the bridge during the day.
‘‘Once I did start to move I counted 176 cars queued on the south side, and by the time I reached the Jack’s Point turn-off there were another 40-odd vehicles I passed that would have added to that queue.’’
NZTA Otago senior network manager John Jarvis acknowledged ‘‘the timing on this occasion was not ideal’’.
Mr Jarvis said traffic count data from previous years indicated that week was not expected to be much busier than the following few weeks.
Once contractors ‘‘became aware’’ of the disruption last Wednesday, they stopped and started again at 3.30am on Thursday.
By 7am the job was ‘‘largely finished’’.
