Motorists travelling the highways this Easter weekend can expect to be pinged for any unsafe driving in a holiday crackdown by police.

Officers will again be enforcing the 4kmh speed tolerance during the official holiday period, but warn any motorists driving above the speed limit can face fines.

"There will be a reduced speed threshold as opposed to tolerance. The speed limit is the speed limit - if you're going 104kmh you may get a ticket - if you are engaging in behaviour that puts others at risk you may possibly also get a ticket for speed," said Waikato road policing manager, Inspector Freda Grace.

The 4kmh threshold applies on all roads, across all speed limits under law, Grace said.

Across the country last year there were five road deaths over Easter as well as 17 serious injuries and 123 minor injuries. In 2012 there were no Easter holiday fatalities.

While motorways will slow to a crawl over Easter, the good news for Auckland is suburban traffic should be free-flowing, NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) said.

The NZTA is expecting almost 100,000 cars to pass through the region's only toll-road at the Northern Gateway, between Thursday and Monday.

Last year's Easter period saw 92,909 vehicles use the toll route in five days.

Auckland and Northland highway Manager Brett Gliddon said they were expecting similar volumes this Easter weekend, with the start of the school holidays.

Traffic heading back to Auckland would be heaviest on SH1 at Wellsford on Easter Sunday from 3.30pm to 5pm and on Monday from 12pm to 2pm, he said.

From the south on SH2 at Waihi, the heaviest traffic flows were expected on Monday from 10am to 3pm.

In Auckland the NZTA has scheduled major roadworks during the 'quieter Easter period' starting this Thursday.

Among the closures are:

St Lukes Road overbridge closed between 8pm Thursday and 5am Tuesday.

The Te Atatu interchange citybound onramps closed from 10pm Thursday to 5am Tuesday.

The Ellerslie-Panmure highway citybound on-ramp, which will shut each night between Thursday and Tuesday from 8pm to 6am.

Gliddon urged people to take extra care and allow for disruptions on the roads. "If everyone takes time to plan their journey, it will help ease any stress and reduce the need to hurry, making for a safer and more enjoyable journey for everyone."

The road toll from the Auckland region at Easter last year was two deaths, six serious injuries and 32 injury crashes.

In the South Island, traffic on Good Friday was expected to be busy northbound on SH1 between Christchurch and Kaiapoi, through Kaikoura, as well as southbound between Christchurch and Ashburton.

To the west high traffic loads could be expected around midday from Canterbury through Arthur's Pass, and on SH7 - the Lewis Pass.