State Highway One from Wellington to the Kapiti Coast has reopened to one northbound lane between MacKays Crossing and Steyne Avenue in Plimmerton after flooding closed the highway earlier this evening.
Heavy rain led to road closures, flooding and slips on Tuesday, but Wellington Civil Defence says the rain has stopped and flooding appears to be subsiding. The Fire Service are working to pump flood waters around Plimmerton roundabout.
NZTA Wellington says motorists should use caution due to surface flooding, and that significant delays are expected as a backlog of heavy traffic clears.
Wellington Civil Defence says many Kapiti Coast commuters will be looking at spending the night in the city as northern traffic remains gridlocked.
Police are advising Wellingtonians to delay their drive home where possible, and anyone planning to travel by train or bus should check with Metlink first.
Metlink says trains are running hourly, with no service between Porirua and Waikanae. Bus services remain impacted by slips, with diversions in place for Routes 14 and 91.
State Highway 2 northbound now has both lanes open, but there are currently tailbacks to the city. Both lanes are also open southbound.
Properties on Riverside Drive in Lower Hutt, between cross streets Tilbury and Rumgay, were evacuated earlier due to flooding on the Waiwhetu Stream.
Residents were asked to place possessions up high and check on their neighbours, and go to families and friends.
Flooding and slips meant that the following roads are closed:
Traffic is piling up for access to State Highway 2
Buses are now running along SH2, after Metlink warned earlier on Tuesday of "severe issues with travel" north of Porirua.
Hutt City Council has warned that sewage is leaking into the Waiwhetu Stream at Hinemoa Street, as extreme rainfall has caused a sewage pumping station to overflow.
Warning signs have been put up advising the public against swimming or fishing from the stream.
Porirua stream and Waikanae River are being closely monitored.
The flooding follows significant earthquakes on Monday, after which Wellington mayor Justin Lester said the city was "in really good shape".
Slip blocking SH1 just before Pukerua Bay
Ferries across Wellington Harbour are cancelled for Tuesday, the Interislander Cook Strait ferry is running with vehicle passengers, while Bluebridge ferries and the Wellington Airport are fully operational.
There were major issues with ferry services on Monday as a result of the quake, as a drawbridge had partially collapsed into the water and left a number of ferries stranded in the harbour.
A number of buildings in the central city were badly damaged by the tremors, and require thorough checks and clean-ups before they're inhabitable again.
On Monday the fire service revealed that the BNZ Centre and TSB Arena on Wellington's waterfront had sustained significant damage, while cracks had emerged on roads near the water's edge.
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