City partygoers have Friday on their mind

HOBART drivers can expect growing congestion over the next several days, with last minute shoppers making a dash for the city stores, revellers heading for the waterfront and seasonal road closures.

It all starts today with the evening of many names — Cage Night, Builder’s Breakup, last Friday before Christmas drinks — one of the biggest nights of the year in Hobart, kicking off from midafternoon.

Salamanca Place between Montpelier Retreat and Woobys Lane will close to all traffic from 5pm.

Most of the Salamanca restaurant strip will be extended to accommodate the influx of revellers.

Phat Fish general manager Emma Stevens said it was the venue’s single biggest night of the year, outrivalling New Year’s Eve.

“New Year’s Eve is actually generally quite quiet,” she said.

“We’ve got extra staff on for knock-off drinks and we’ll have a Simple Cider tap bar outside, live music, and our outdoor seating will be extended out onto the street.”

One of Hobart’s newest venues, In The Hanging Garden, will extend the festivities beyond Salamanca, with its first Cage Night event from 6pm onwards.

A spokeswoman said Tasmania Police would have a highly visible presence around the waterfront.

“As with previous years, police will be providing a proactive and highly visible presence with additional patrols and visits to licensed premises,” the spokeswoman said.

“Police urge everyone celebrating to drink responsibly, look after their mates, and have a plan to get home safely.”

More road closures will come into place from tomorrow onwards around the waterfront area due to the Taste of Tasmania and the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

From tomorrow, TasPorts will close Franklin Wharf to traffic from the Elizabeth St Pier to Hunter St. It will reopen on January 5.

The Hobart City Council will also close the following roads:

Until 6am on Boxing Day, Castray Esplanade will be closed to vehicles from Morrison St to Silos Link Rd.

From 6am Boxing Day to 6pm January 4, Castray Esplanade will remain closed. Morrison St will also be closed between Murray St and Salamanca Pl.

From 6pm New Year’s Eve to 7am New Year’s Day, there will be no vehicle access to the Hobart waterfront from Elizabeth St, Murray St, Salamanca Pl, Gladstone St and Montpelier Retreat, as in previous years. Access for taxis and buses will be maintained.

From 6pm January 4 to 8pm January 6, Castray Esplanade will be closed between Morrison St and Silos Link Rd.