It’s also creating massive traffic jams, right back in to the east end of the island, according to motorists.
The Guardian’s telephone lines were clogged with complaints from motorists about blocked-off roads and movie trailers blocking Lovers Lane and Church Street, which leads to the Paradise Island Bridge.
“This is horrendous!” one caller said.
“It was the middle of the afternoon and it was really slow coming up. I mean traffic was a lot slower than usual,” said another caller.
Large movie trailers and other production equipment were spread across the grass of the Eastern Parade, Tuesday afternoon.
Along Church Street were fluorescent red cones, and the one-way dual-passageway was made into a one-lane street as a large, dark trailer took up most of the right-hand lane. In front of it was another.
Lovers Lane was blocked off, as a newly erected “No Right Turn” sign directed motorists from the corner of Shirley Street.
The New Line Cinema production company was permitted to close roads, the film’s publicist Cid Swank said on Tuesday, and pointed out that those roads are nearly always congested.
“It seems that there’s always a lot of congestion in that area. We are filming there. We filmed there yesterday, today and we’ll be there tomorrow,” she said.
About the closing of Lovers Lane, Ms Swank pointed out that “it is a small road that is hardly used” and that it was blocked off with the permission of the government.
Traffic Division head acting superintendent Willard Cunningham confirmed that the production crew was permitted to close Lovers Lane to motorists.
“I don’t know of any traffic mishaps on Shirley Street or if that road that was blocked off at all. I only know that a movie shooting was done… I know that this division grants road closures on behalf of the police commissioner (Paul Farquharson) and that it was approved.”
Mr. Cunningham said that between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. or shortly after, traffic in that area is usually at its peak. On many occasions, he said officers are sent to direct traffic.
Angela Archer, of the Bahamas Film Commission, said that as far as she knows there was no “back-up” on the roads.
“I got a few calls too, from people calling me, telling me that the roads were backed-up, but when I passed there I didn’t experience or saw any backups. I don’t know whether there were any traffic mishaps or anything, but from my perspective there was no cause for traffic,” said Ms Archer.
Filming is expected to continue through mid-December, occupying Nassau locations and the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort on Paradise Island.
The film, which stars Pierce Brosnan (“Thomas Crown Affair,” “Die Another Day”) and Salma Hayek (“Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” “Desperado”), will feature about 1,400 Bahamian extras.
By Khashan Poitier, The Nassau Guardian
