This year brings the largest sporting events in the world to the UK – the Olympic and Paralympic Games. These events will make roads and public transport much busier than usual, but much guidance is already available.
A number of websites already exist and provide practical guidance to planning journeys (and deliveries) so that you (or your business) do not get delayed by the impact of the Olympics. It’s worth finding out more now!
Top tips
Start planning: travel by car, train, bus and underground will be affected, with additional public transport available over extended hours. The ‘Get Ahead of the Games’ website recommends:
- Find out if your journey will be affected and plan your travel in advance
- Consider alternatives – another type of transport might be a better option for you
- If you aren’t going to a Games event, try to avoid venue stations, particularly at the busiest times
- If you need to travel, look at re-timing so you avoid the busiest times
- Avoid driving in affected areas if possible. If you need to make a car journey, be prepared for delays.
Key dates
The Olympics take place from 27 July to 12 August
The Paralympics take place from 29 August to 9 September
You can expect both to affect travel and transport for several days before and after these dates.
It’s not just London!
Go to http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/ for full details of what’s happening, where, and travel hotspots including London and the venues below:
· Cardiff
The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is hosting Olympic Football events between 25 July – 10 August
· Weymouth & Portland
Weymouth and Portland is hosting Olympic Sailing from 29 July – 11 August and Paralympic Sailing from 1 – 6 September
· Coventry
The City of Coventry Stadium is hosting Olympic Football events between 25 July – 9 August
· Manchester
Old Trafford in Manchester is hosting Olympic Football events between 26 July – 7 August
· Newcastle
St. James Park in Newcastle is hosting Olympic Football events between 26 July – 4 August
· Glasgow
Hampden Park Football Stadium in Glasgow is hosting Olympic Football events between 25 July – 3 August
· Windsor & Eton
Eton Dorney is hosting the Olympic Rowing and Canoe Sprint from 28 July – 11 August and the Paralympic Rowing from 31 August – 2 September
· Cheshunt & Waltham Cross
The Lee Valley White Water Centre is hosting the Olympic Canoe Slalom from 29 July – 2 August
· Sevenoaks
Brands Hatch in Sevenoaks, Kent is hosting the Paralympic Cycling from 5 – 8 September
· Leigh-on-Sea & Hadleigh
Hadleigh Farm is hosting Olympic Mountain Biking from 11 – 12 August
· Surrey
Olympic Road Cycling events are taking place on roads in Surrey between 28 July – 1 August
The Olympic Route Network (ORN) and Paralympic Route Network (PRN)
These are the networks of roads linking the Olympic and Paralympic Games sites. They will enable key participants, such as athletes, officials and media to travel safely, securely and efficiently between competition and training venues and their accommodation.
In most instances, the ORN and PRN roads will be open to all road users and kept clear of obstructions and non-emergency roadworks. However some specific restrictions will apply, such as no parking or stopping and changes to the permitted turns at some junctions.
These temporary changes will be clearly signposted and information of these restrictions will be provided closer to Games time once planning is completed.
Games Lanes
On certain streets in London and on the Egham Bypass in Surrey, there will be temporary Games Lanes. These will only operate on around a third of the ORN and PRN and only on stretches of road that have more than one lane in each direction, in London just 30 miles in total for the Olympics.
Where will the ORN and PRN operate?
The ORN is 109 miles in length in Greater London, just one per cent of the capital’s road network. To find out detailed information of the ORN and PRN routes in London, view the London roads interactive tool and visit the TfL website.
The ORN and PRN also extend to other areas in the south of England hosting sporting and non-sporting venues, including Weymouth and Portland, Eton Dorney, Hadleigh Farm and Royal Holloway in Surrey. There will also be a Games Family route to Brand Hatch in Kent for the Paralympic Road Cycling.
Help from the London Borough of Newham
At certain locations in the Stratford and West Ham area, LOCOG will introduce traffic controls at Games time and for a trial period in May to ease congestion and help the running of events.
Visit Newham’s helpful advice here:
http://www.newham.gov.uk/ParkingAndTransport/Gamestimeroadclosures.htm
And
See maps of proposed restrictions around the borough on the London 2012 website.
Road events at the Olympic Games 2012
The Olympic marathon, cycling and walking events will cause the closure of roads in London, Surrey and Kent. Plus, the Torch Relay will also use roads across the UK.
The Freight Transport Association has very useful information on its website at:
http://www.fta.co.uk/microsites/olympics/road_events.html
Find details on the dates and routes of road events using the information and links below.
Torch relay
19 May to 26 July 2012
View the Torch Relay route
Marathon
5 August 2012 – Women’s Marathon
12 August 2012 – Men’s Marathon
9 September 2012 – Men’s and Women’s Paralympic Marathons
View the Marathon route
Race Walks
4 August 2012 – Men’s Race Walk (20km)
11 August 2012 – Men’s (50km) and Women’s (20km) Race Walks
View the Race Walk route
Road Cycling events
28 July 2012 – Men’s Road Race
29 July 2012 – Women’s Road Race
1 August 2012 – Men’s and Women’s Time Trials
View a map of the proposed road cycling route
The Paralympic Road Cycling events will be held at Brands Hatch in Kent and will use some local roads as well as the motor racing circuit. 32 Paralympic medal events will take place between Wednesday 5 September and Saturday 8 September 2012.
View a map of the route for the Paralympic road cycling event