6 October 2011

Prepare for busy weekend on public transport and roads

Aucklanders are being advised to prepare for a busy weekend on public transport and roads as Rugby World Cup 2011 moves into the quarter-finals.

This weekend Auckland will host quarter-finals matches on Saturday and Sunday at Eden Park The city is also expecting a large turnout at the Diwali Festival in Aotea Square and will open local Fanzones at Henderson, Mangere and Albany. Large crowds are also expected at the Queen’s Wharf Fanzone and the new Wynyard Quarter Fanzone to watch the knock out matches.

All of the events will see changes to transport, potential delays around the venues and much busier public transport and roads. Additional public transport services will be in place for fans heading to the matches

There will be road closures and bus stop relocations all weekend in the downtown area for the downtown Fanzones, as well as the section of Queen St between Wakefield St and Mayoral Dr for Diwali. Road closures and parking restrictions will also be in place around Eden Park from 5.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.

People can check road closures at www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz and public transport information at www.maxx.co.nz . Or follow @AKLtransport on Twitter.com for regular updates on match day transport.

Auckland Transport says the most important advice is to plan ahead and travel early.

There are a range of transport options, however people should check in advance which suits them best. For example, for people heading to the downtown Fanzones or Diwali, driving and parking in a nearby carpark building like Downtown or Victoria St may be the best option.

The local Fanzones have parking available nearby so the majority of crowds are expected to drive.

Roads and public transport will be much busier than usual so people need to leave early and be prepared for delays.

From late afternoon trains will be focused on getting people to the match, which means an impact on other people travelling. This includes changes to the entrances at Britomart, smaller trains for some non-event services and buses replacing some trains, especially on the Western Line.

For each quarter-final similar transport arrangements will be in place to recent RWC 2011 matches at Eden Park. This includes 100 extra special event buses from Britomart and 100 additional train services. Special event buses will also run from outside the Civic Theatre on Queen St, Albany Bus Station via all Northern Busway Stations, Takapuna, Newmarket/Mt Eden and Manukau/Botany/Pakuranga.

The special event buses from Britomart are free with a match ticket from 4.30pm. Trains and special event buses are free with a match ticket from 5.30pm.

For those going to the match the most important thing to do is travel early to beat the crowds. Kick-off is at 8.30pm and gates open at 6pm. The earlier quarter-final in Wellington on both days will be screened in full on the big screen at Eden Park on both Saturday and Sunday.

Traffic will be busy in the area around the stadium, some roads will be closed and areas close to the stadium are restricted to parking for residents only.

People not going to the match should be aware there is potential for delays in the area and there are changes to some train services, with buses replacing trains on the Western Line at certain times.

Tickets are available to both Auckland quarter-finals via www/rugbyworldcup.com/tickets or through Ticketek.

ENDS

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