The Queen’s Baton Relay arrives in town on Wednesday, February 14, and significant road closures will be in place from 6am.
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Wondering where to watch the relay from, or where to park if you need to get into the CBD?
Read on for details about how to prepare for the day.
BENDIGO CBD ROAD CLOSURES
An exclusion zone will be established in central Bendigo for most of the morning on February 14. It will begin at 6am and be lifted around lunchtime.
Road closures will be put in place to stop vehicles entering the city at places such as View and Barnard streets, High and Forest streets, Napier Street and Weeroona Avenue, the McIvor Highway and Kennedy Street, and along Mollison Street.
MAP: Road closures in Bendigo
The City of Greater Bendigo is urging commuters to seek alternative options to work, such as riding, walking or taking public transport.
PARKING IN OR NEAR THE CBD
OPEN:
- Edwards Street multi-storey car park
- Target car park (corner of King and Edwards streets)
- Hargreaves Street car park (opposite The Good Loaf)
- Bendigo Marketplace car park
CLOSED:
- Hargreaves Street multi-storey car park until midday
- Coles multi-storey car park until exclusion zone lifted
- QEO car park until exclusion zone lifted
- McCrae Street car park until exclusion zone lifted
NOTE: All parking times, restrictions and fees still apply.
MAP: CBD car parking while the relay is on
INFORMATION FOR CYCLISTS
Bike Bendigo is calling on people to embrace the opportunity to experience the CBD car-free and cycle into work via one of three “dream rides”.
The Spring Gully Trail, the O’Keefe Rail Trail and the northern side of the Bendigo Creek Trail will allow cyclists to make it into the city centre almost without riding in traffic.
Bike parking is available at various bike posts/racks in the CBD, as well as free parking at the Edwards Street multi-storey car park.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT USERS
All central city bus stops will be shut down from 6am to noon.
These include bus stops in Pall Mall, McCrae Street, Mitchell Street and View Street.
The Bendigo Railway Station bus stops will be the only access to the city for bus commuters.
The Bendigo train station is not included in the exclusion zone and will operate as normal.
READ: Bus route detours
ABOUT THE RELAY
The Queen’s Baton Relay passes through every state and territory in Australia ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
This year the Games will be held on the Gold Coast in April.
The Queen’s Baton Relay started on Commonwealth Day, March 13 last year, at Buckingham Palace when Her Majesty placed Her message inside of the baton.
Since then, it has been passed between thousands of people across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
It will arrive on the Gold Coast for the XXI Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on April 4, where the Prince of Wales will remove the Queen’s message from the baton and read it aloud to declare the Games open.
In Australia, the Queen’s Baton will traverse 40,000km, with about 3800 baton bearers. In Victoria, more than 440 people will carry it.
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay is the longest and most accessible in history, travelling through the entire Commonwealth for 388 days and 230,000km.
BENDIGO BATON BEARERS
Eighteen people from Bendigo, Kyneton and Carisbrook have been chosen to carry the Queen’s Baton when it passes through Bendigo.
They are:
- Edward Barkla
- Andrew Barling
- Joel Bertoncini
- Russell Jack
- Martin Mark
- Denis Nihill
- Dennis O’Hoy
- Bradley Orton
- Arj Perera
- Laurie Preston
- Nathan Rogers
- Ellyse Roper
- Colin Thompson
- Kaye Trimble
- Leslie Trimble
- Lyn Walker
- Gary Warnest
- Glenn Woodhatch
Seventeen people will also carry the baton in Echuca on Thursday, February 15, and another 22 have been chosen to participate in the relay when it reaches Kerang and Murrabit on February 16.
WHERE TO WATCH
The relay will travel from near the Queen Elizabeth Oval down View Street, then along Pall Mall to Chapel Street and make a loop through Hargreaves, Williamson and Myers Streets, before heading out along Napier Street to Lake Weeroona where the Baton will depart Bendigo.
An official welcome for the Baton Relay will be held at Rosalind Park Piazza at 9am.
The best spots to watch the relay, according to the City of Greater Bendigo, include along View Street and Pall Mall, and the Rosalind Park Piazza.
MAP: Find out where each bearer will carry the baton and when
CAN’T MAKE IT, BUT WANT TO SEE THE ACTION?
The Addy will be providing live coverage of the relay on our website from the morning. Keep an eye on www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au and our social media accounts for live video streams, photos and stories from the day.
If you’re there, we’d love to see your photos and video – message us on Facebook (@bendigoadvertiser or @BgoAddySport), use the hashtag #bendigoadvertiser on Instagram or email addynews@fairfaxmedia.com.au