The Star: February 29, 2024

The Star Thursday February 29 2024
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Residents say they will
ignore SailGP road closure
• By Dylan Smits
RESIDENTS WHO use
Governors Bay Rd say they
will drive through a road block
during SailGP, rather than take a
significant detour to reach their
homes.
One resident who lives near
Sandy Bay, off Governors Bay Rd,
said she will ignore attempts to
stop her passage.
“Oh blow them, they’ve got no
right to stop me,” she said.
She and other residents who
intend to ignore the closure live
on the eastern side of Governors
Bay, close to the Dyers Pass Rd
turn-off where the road block
will be located.
SailGP told residents in a letter
they would, like last year, need
to detour through Lyttelton
and drive the long way along
Governors Bay Rd to reach their
homes.
Governors Bay Rd will become
a one-way road allowing all
vehicles to travel only from Lyttelton
between noon and 6pm on
March 23 and 24.
This is the route the affected
residents will need to take to
reach eastern Governors Bay
after using passes to access a
detour into Lyttelton via Bridle
Path Rd and Tunnel Rd.
SailGP said the road closure
was “designed to manage the
flow of traffic, parking, emergency
access, resident access
and transport options for ticket
holders”.
Resident David Gregory also
said he is likely to ignore the
closure.
“It seems illogical to allow
access to your home from one
direction, but not from the other
direction,” he said.
“The purpose of this seems
obscure.”
Governors Bay Rd resident
Vix-Creag McCulloch said it
was frustrating last year not
being able to access their homes
from both directions, despite
having passes.
She said it was bad event management
for residents who lived
on the closed part of Governors
Bay Rd.
“To be able to show the traffic
wardens your pass, your rates
notice and point to your house
and then told to find a park and
walk there was very infuriating,
especially with a damaged knee.”
Responding to residents views,
a SailGP spokesperson said:
“We’d ask all residents to be
mindful of the safety of all road
users, including these emergency
services personnel, when travelling
during race weekend.”
The spokesperson said the road
closure was part of the SailGP
traffic management plan, developed
in partnership with the city
council, Ministry of Transport,
and a “range of experts and the
local community.”
SailGP told affected residents
they would be mailed a pass allowing
access from Lyttelton in
early March.
Lyttelton residents will also
be blocked from entering the
suburb through Sumner and
Governors Bay and only allowed
access through Tunnel Rd and
Bridle Path Rd with passes.
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