Highway blocked

State Highway 1 north of Wellington was not expected to reopen until 8pm last night, after a chemical-laden truck crashed at 3.45am. NZ Transport Agency said that due to the dangerous materials spilled, the extraction of the vehicle and clearing of the lanes was a ‘‘complex operation’’. A convoy of trucks several kilometres long was waiting for the highway to reopen, as motorists prepared to exit Wellington for the long weekend. At one point both SH1 and SH2 were closed yesterday. Light vehicles could take the hilly, winding Paeka¯kariki Hill road but not trucks. The Mainfreight truck was carrying hazardous chemicals and paint products when it crashed near Pukerua Bay early yesterday. The driver suffered minor injuries. Paeka¯ka¯riki Hill Rd was scheduled to close at noon yesterday but NZTA cancelled the planned road closure.