Cyclists put the brake on Baptists

A women's cycle race in Wellington that forced widespread road closures and choked off traffic has infuriated churchgoers, including one church that was forced to close for the first time in nearly 100 years.

Several major inner-city streets, including Boulcott St, Lambton Quay and part of The Terrace, were closed from early yesterday morning until 3pm for the Women's World Cup event.

Wellington Central Baptist in Boulcott St cancelled its 10am service.

Deacon Graeme Murray said he understood it was the first time the service - the most important on Sunday for the 127-year-old church - had been cancelled since the 1919 flu epidemic.

"Our congregation comes from all over the place. We were the worst affected. It virtually wiped out our Sunday observance.

"Basically [Wellington City] Council wasn't aware or didn't care."

St Mary of the Angels, also in Boulcott St, had only half the usual number of Catholic worshippers. It had 30 instead of about 60 at 7am Mass, 94 instead of 200 at 9am and 108 instead of 250 at 11am.

Father Michael Wooller said usually numbers increased in the weeks close to Easter.

"It has more than inconvenienced us, it ruins a Sunday for us."

Wellington City Council and police approved the international race, using the inner-city streets to complete the 6km circuit 20 times.

Council spokesman Richard MacLean said inner-city churches were the only group that complained.

"There are some fairly unhappy parishioners and we are certainly aware of the fact that they are unhappy."

Mr MacLean said the race was a success because the road closures had caused minimal problems, retailers and hotels had not complained and it had attracted between 4000 and 5000 spectators.

Most of the cost of the race had been met by organisers.

Police were kept busy manning road diversions and keeping cones and barriers around the racecourse in place.

A police spokesman said the race had involved a number of staff with road closures, but traffic problems had been fewer than expected.

But traffic delays unconnected to the race occurred elsewhere in the Wellington region.

Problems with temporary traffic lights left cars waiting for more than 20 minutes next to roadworks around Kaitoke yesterday afternoon.

About 200 cars heading south were banked up on State Highway 2, where the automated lights were letting through only about five cars at a time.

- NZPA