Wellington motorists are being warned to expect significant delays as Restore Passenger Rail protesters force the closure of a main route into the city. 

The group have scaled a gantry above State Highway One, forcing the closure of the Ngauranga Flyover to traffic heading south into Wellington. 

Police are in attendance at the scene between Hutt Road and Aotea Quay. 

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency said motorists should expect significant delays, with southbound queues already back to the Johnsonville off-ramp. 

“Please expect delays or take an alternate route if possible.” 

It’s the second protest in a week for the group, after they attempted to block the road heading in to the Terrace Tunnel on Monday. Three people were arrested after that protest. 

Last week, the group brought traffic to a standstill on Wellington’s SH1, leading to the arrest of two of the protesters, and four days after another member, Rosemary Penwarden, was arrested for allegedly concreting her hand to a Wellington road. 

Police would not confirm if the substance used to stick Penwarden’s hand to the road was cement, but construction expert John Tookey told the Herald it was likely an epoxy mixture, as cement alone could not set quickly enough to be useful. 

Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.