New Eden Park Rd To be Called Mandela Walkway? -Latest Photos

in General by Jon C — March 3, 2010 at 9:40 pm | 7 comments

The new legal link road at Eden Park to be called Mandela Walkway?

Not sure about that.

People may have greatly respected Mandela but not be so sure about what happened when he had the chance of power.  But this is Eden Park, home of NZ rugby  so it’s bizarre to honour him there as the Springboks are playing in the RWC.

The Eden Albert Community Board , which thinks too much money is being spent on this, has been tossing around names for the new legal road at Eden Park and those are the three main contenders.

Next suggestion is Porangi walkway?

The Maori dictionary says that means “crazy and mad.”

Well, it will be mad if the ABs bomb out again but that’s not a sensible name for a road if that’s the definition. It’s an in joke (the board thinks it’s crazy all this money on a walkway).

Minto Walkway ?

John Minto, is a nearby resident, and is famous for leading the protests around Eden Park during the Springbok tour.
He polarises people still - including after his January arrest outside the Stanleyt St tennis where an Israeli was playing - but he has, like it or not, helped change the political landscape and the impact of politics in sport.

And no doubt the board thinks there’s some irony in the fact the man who fought police and staunch one-eyed rugby fans against apartheid now has rugby fans walking his road to their treasured RWC games!

Of should we be sticking with rugby and name it after some famous All Black who played at the park?

Which do you fancy for the name of Auckland’s newest road?

While expansion work at the Kingsland train station has halted for a time, it’s full on at Sandringham Rd, around Walters Rd in preparation for the RWC.
Besides the widening of the footpaths, which necessitated the shifting of some houses opposite the station, there is also the building of that new link road between Sandringham and Walters to provide easy access to the park.

Here is how the work around that part of Sandringham Rd is looking right now:

EARLIER Link Road construction photos
South Stand photos

Tags: Eden Park RWC 2011 Sandringham Rd