Eden Park road closures upset locals

Photo / Bradley Ambrose

Residents around Eden Park are upset a Rugby World Cup planning rehearsal will leave many with just one route in and out of their neighbourhood for nine hours tomorrow.

The Auckland Transport agency will close 20 streets to all traffic except holders of residents' or Eden Park permits from 3pm until midnight to cover two rugby league test matches, the first between England and Papua New Guinea and the other between New Zealand and Australia.

It will also impose a lockdown in an inner circle around Eden Park against all except emergency traffic for one hour before and after the New Zealand-Australia clash, which kicks off at 8.15pm.

Rugby World Cup transport director Bruce Barnard said yesterday that concern had been raised about conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians before and after the Tri-Nations test between NZ and South Africa in July "and we are trying to be proactive before someone gets run down".

But Eden Park Neighbourhood Association president Mark Donnelly said the main problem had involved taxis and vehicles parking inside the stadium, rather than local residents, who would be seriously inconvenienced for an unprecedented period tomorrow.

Mr Donnelly said residents understood a need for comprehensive traffic arrangements for next year's World Cup, but he did not believe the rugby league double-header would provide a realistic trial of pinch points, because of a spread-out arrival period for fans more interested in attending the second of the two matches.

He also feared a reliance on just one checkpoint to the main restricted zone, through the eastern end of Walters Rd, would clog up Dominion Rd to the detriment of residents and businesses.

Mr Barnard said his planning team had taken advice from police in selecting the Walters Rd access point, as it offered the only signalised intersection in the area, but it had not ruled out suggestions from Mr Donnelly's organisation of other avenues in future.

Tomorrow's matches will be Eden Park's first big sports events since the completion of its stadium upgrade, and are expected to attract more than 35,000 fans compared with crowds of 60,000 for the rugby cup finals.

Mr Barnard said the only transport infrastructure yet to be completed around Eden Park for the World Cup was signalling to allow trains to use both of Kingsland station's platforms to clear 15,000 fans in 70 minutes in the same direction, to Britomart.

That project would be completed in time for the first Super 15 rugby match in mid-February, between the Blues and the Crusaders..

Police will enforce a liquor ban around Eden Park from 6am tomorrow until 11am on Sunday.

The ban is bounded by Rossmay Tce, Onslow Rd, Marlborough St, Burnley Tce and Ethel St and includes all areas within.