Two lanes open at Pukerua Bay

A lane in each direction is now open on State Highway 1 at the site of yesterday’s truck crash at Pukerua Bay north of Wellington.

The Transport Agency said traffic is flowing well but there are still minor delays for motorists as repair work is carried out.

The Greater Wellington Regional Council has been unable to confirm yet whether hazardous chemicals from the truck have spilled into a local wetland which is home to threatened wildlife.

QEII National Trust chief executive Mike Jebson said if chemicals did reach the Taupō swamp, it would be disastrous to the ecosystem.

“The thing about these wetlands is there’s so few of them left in the country, we’re down to less than 10 percent of the wetlands that used to be here, so every wetland’s important but Taupō swamp is particularly important.”