Games traffic heavy on Saturday

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33450, 4 February 1974, Page 16

Games traffic heavy on Saturday

Traffic leaving Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday after the dosing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games took longer to disperse than it did after other days of the Games.

Most spectators at the closing ceremony stayed until the end, causing a greater concentration of traffic when the ceremony ended, said Chief Traffic Officer D. K. Watson. On other days, some spectators left the park early because they were not interested in events near the end of the programme, said Chief Traffic Officer Watson. This reduced the volume of traffic leaving the park at the end. No big problems were caused by the large volume! of traffic, although the area took longer to clear, he said. On the Beach Road side of the park, traffic took about 1| hours to clear, partly because Mairehau Road could handle only one lane. Along Bower Avenue,

three lanes of traffic enabled the area to be cleared within an hour. A New Zealand Army helicopter and a Ministry of Transport fixed-wing aircraft were of great help in controlling the traffic, he said. The aircraft provided those in charge with a good picture of the traffic flow. Most motorists were patient and obeyed directions given by traffic officers. About 200 officers were on duty in the area.