Orange set to welcome international baton relay

19 January 2017

Final preparations are under way for the stopover by the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) in Orange.

Since it left Buckingham Palace in London in March last year, the baton has journeyed through Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania before arriving in Australia on Christmas Eve. The baton arrives in Orange on the morning of Tuesday 30 January on its way to the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast on April 4.

In the NSW central west, the baton comes to Orange from West Wyalong, Forbes and Parkes the day before it reaches Orange. After spending the morning in Orange the baton travels on to Wellington before spending the night in Dubbo.

READY TO RUN: Baton bearer Dr David Howe and Orange mayor Reg Kidd are looking forward to the 30 January event. Details of road closures have now been released.

One of the local baton bearers, Dr David Howe is looking forward to taking a turn carrying the baton.

"I remember at the 2000 Olympics and seeing all the torch runners and thinking what an honour it would be to do something like this," David Howe said. "Now having this come through Orange and having an opportunity to be involved, I'm very proud."

Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said there’ll be many opportunities for local residents to see the baton convoy pass by on Tuesday 30 January.

“The baton will make two school visits at Calare Public and Orange High, before community events at the Civic Square and the Anzac Park sports centre,” Cr Reg Kidd said. “The easiest places to see the baton convoy passing will be as it journeys along Byng Street and in Summer Street, and in Robertson Park. We’re expecting hundreds of people will turn out to line the streets.

“As well as the person carrying the baton, the whole convoy is around nine hundred (900) metres long, and for that reason there will be some road closures. We’re asking people to plan ahead and be patient with the impact of these closures.

“It will be like Anzac Day. As the baton convoy travels through Byng Street and Summer St, to keep people safe, traffic will be closed off in each of those streets and access from cross streets will be closed.

“The timing of each road closure is being released today along with route maps and it’s all available online. It’s important that anyone who plans to be driving in these areas on that morning, checks out these details and plans ahead. Businesses in Summer Street should also look closely to see when the main street will be closed to traffic and plan ahead. Look at the route of the convoy and avoid those areas if you can.”

Electronic message boards will be in place advising drivers of the street closures and suggesting detours.

The key closure will be both lanes of Summer St which will be closed from Woodward St to William St from 9.55 am.

As the convoy passes, it’s expected Summer St will be progressively opened to westbound traffic starting from around 11 am.

Convoy time-table

This table shows the location and time-table of the QBR convoy.

Location	Approx Times	Duration
Travel Parkes to Orange	07:43 - 09:10	01.27
Calare Public School	09:10 - 09:55	0.45
Calare to Orange High	9.55-10.08	0.12
Orange High School	10.08 -10.17	0.08
Orange High to Robertson Park	10.17 -10.42	0.24
Robertson Park to Museum Roof	10.42 -10.48	0.06
Orange Regional Museum Roof	10.48 -10.58	0.10
Museum Roof to Byng St (Park St Corner)	10.58 -11.13	0.15
Byng St (Corner of Park St) to Anzac Park	11.13 -11.19	0.06
Anzac Park	11.19 -11.29	0.10
Convoy Team Break	11.29 -11.54	0.25
Travel : Orange to Wellington	11.54 -13.18	01.23

Street closures

Streets will be closed from around 15 minutes before the convoy arrives and will be re-opened progressively once the convoy has left each location. The times in this table are provided to assist local residents to plan, but should be taken as an approximate guide. There may be unexpected delays.

Streets	Closed from :	Open from :
Frost St (From Wentworth Lane to Coronation Drive)	9.05	9.56
Coronation Drive (From Frost to Woodward St)	9.50	10.20
Woodward (From Summer St to March St, )	9.55	10.20
Byng St (From Woodward to Hill St)	9.55	10.25
Hill St (From Byng St to Summer St )	9.55	10.30
Summer St (From Woodward St to William St - Eastbound Lane)	9.55	11.00
Summer St (From Woodward St to William St will progressively open to westbound traffic as conyoy passes)	9.55	10.30
Lords Place( From Summer to Byng)	10.15	11.15
Byng St ( From Lords Place to Peisley St)	10.15	11.15
Byng St (From Peisley to Seymour St)	11.10	11.25
Seymour St ( From Byng to March St)	11.10	12.00

There are a number of cross streets between Summer St and Byng St, where there will be traffic control barriers at both ends of the block. During the closure (approx 20 mins between 9.55 and 10.15) in these locations (Hamer, Sampson & Clinton Streets) residents will be able to leave that block by crossing Summer St.