Wellington's new Transmission Gully highway is proving popular over Easter.
Transmission Gully Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Infrastructure company Ventia has released figures showing that many holidaymakers started heading north on the new stretch of State Highway 1 on Thursday afternoon.
Nearly 200 vehicles an hour used the inland route out of Wellington between 7am and 3pm.
But on Good Friday, more than a thousand vehicles an hour travelled south on the road towards Wellington in the five hours after noon, and an equal number headed north during the day.
However, it was also slow-going yesterday, with northbound cars barely reaching 50km/h at times from Waikanae to Otaki.
The $1.25 billion road opened to the public at the end of March.