Traffic arrangements announced for 2010 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Northamptonshire
HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service on 07 June 2010
Traffic access arrangements for the 2010 Formula 1™ Santander British Grand Prix at Silverstone in Northamptonshire have been announced.
The arrangements for the Grand Prix on the 9, 10 and 11 July 2010 will be very similar to previous years. The traffic management will help race goers to get in and out of the event as smoothly as possible, with cross-country traffic kept separate from race traffic.
Advance notice of these changes and diversion routes are being given to drivers who use the A43 and local residents so they can plan their journeys or make alternative arrangements if necessary. Non-race traffic is advised to avoid roads in the area if possible.
On 9, 10 and 11 July the A43 will be closed to through-traffic between Brackley and Towcester. The road will be closed from 5am until 9pm each day and non-race traffic is advised to avoid the area if possible.
Road users heading for the Grand Prix will be directed along one-way systems, and this system will be reversed as traffic leaves the event.
Grand Prix traffic will take the following clearly signed routes:
From the M1, Grand Prix traffic will be directed onto the A43 southbound from junction 15A on the motorway. Drivers using the A5 will join the A43 at Towcester.
* South of Towcester, cars will leave the A43 to follow the A413 into the circuit at Winterhills for the external car parking.
* Official vehicles and coaches will continue onto the A43 to the Dadford Road interchange to enter either the circuit main entrance or the adjacent coach park.
Drivers approaching via the M40 will leave the motorway at junction 10, as directed and continue along the A43 towards Brackley.
* Cars will be directed to Dadford Road and will access the circuit's west car parks.
* Coaches and official vehicles will use a split route that allows access to the circuit main entrance and coach park.
Diversions will be set up for drivers not heading to the Grand Prix and these will be well signed:
* Southbound traffic will be diverted to junction 15 of the M1, along the A508 to Milton Keynes, the A422 to Buckingham and A421, rejoining the A43 south of Brackley.
* Northbound traffic will leave the A43 at the A421 junction to Buckingham, the A422 to Milton Keynes and the A508 to junction 15 of the M1.
* Local diversions will also be set up for light traffic.
Planning for the event has been carried out by the Inter-Agency Group made up of the Highways Agency, Silverstone Circuits Ltd, Northamptonshire Police, Thames Valley Police, Northamptonshire County Council, South Northamptonshire Council, Aylesbury Vale District Council and Government Office for the East Midlands.
Graham Littlechild, Highways Agency Route Performance Manager for the A43, said:
"We would urge everyone using the roads in the area over the Grand Prix weekend to plan their journey in advance and leave extra time as the roads on the approach and around Silverstone circuit will be very busy.
"We have worked hard and used our experience as part of the Inter-Agency Group to do everything we can to reduce delays and make journeys easier for everyone attending the Grand Prix, and also for long distance drivers too.
"We will use our electronic message signs to give road users information about diversion routes and delays, and provide up-to-the minute traffic information using local radio and our own DAB Traffic Radio service. You can also access a mobile version of our website using your phone while stopped for a break, or as a passenger, or the first time this year, access up to the minute traffic information using our new iPhone application."
Detailed access arrangements will be given to residents between now and the Grand Prix for each of the villages affected by the closures and diversions, including the impact on school and public bus services, to keep disruption to a minimum.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. Further information about travel arrangements and local impact will be made available at regular intervals between now and the Grand Prix
2. During the Grand Prix weekend there will be regular traffic bulletins on local and national radio.
3. Real-time traffic information for England's motorways and major A roads is available:
- From our Traffic Radio service, available on DAB digital radio and the internet at www.trafficradio.org.uk To tune into the DAB service, simply press the "scan" button on your radio. The radio will tune into all available channels and you can select the new service by scrolling through the channels until you reach "Traffic Radio".
- From the web at www.highways.gov.uk/traffic or www.highways.gov.uk/mobile if using a phone or mobile device.
Before using any mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency. Make sure it's safe and legal before you call.
- By phone from the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated phone service on 08700 660 115.
4. For more general information about the Highways Agency and its work, visit the Highways Agency website www.highways.gov.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 1235000. Calls from landlines to 0300 and 08700 numbers can cost up to 8p per minute, but are free from some landline providers: mobiles usually cost more. Please check costs with your service provider.
5. Press and public relations contacts for the British Grand Prix Inter-Agency Working Group are:
Highways Agency
Tim Roberts, Press and PR Officer 01707 608568/ 0778 6174048
Silverstone Circuits Limited
Katie Tyler, Head of Communications 01327 320273
South Northamptonshire Council
Anita Williams, Communications and PR Manager, 01327 322 196
Northamptonshire Police
Andy Roberts, Press Officer, 01604 703199
Issued on behalf of the IAG by the Highways Agency. For more information contact Tim Roberts on 01707 608568/0778 6174048 or email timothy.roberts@highways.gsi.gov.uk
IAG/01/10
Contacts:
Tim Roberts
Phone: 01707 608 568
timothy.roberts@highways.gsi.gov.uk
