Highways Agency warn of football influx
Routes from the North West heading towards London are expected to be much busier than usual this weekend, the Highways Agency is warning.
Droves of Wembley-bound Manchester City and Manchester United fans will hit the motorways for their semi-final on Saturday (April 16) while another wave of traffic will follow the next day, made up of Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers fans.
A third wave of Liverpool fans will head to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium for their 4pm kick off on the Sunday.
If that wasn’t enough, the London Marathon on Sunday morning will cap off what is sure to be a manic day in the capital.
Routes from the North West towards London, including the M6, M40 and M1, are likely to be busy before and after both matches.
Monitor
Highways Agency Traffic Officers at regional control centres in the North West, the Midlands and Eastern region – which controls the northern section of the M25 – are all on standby to monitor traffic, set electronic signs and dispatch patrols of Traffic Officers to clear up any incidents as quickly as possible to keep football fans and other motorway users on the move.
Drivers leaving Bolton for Sunday’s game have already been advised of the southbound closure of the M61 near the M60 until 7am on Sunday for resurfacing works.
Elsewhere, across the weekend, some delays are possible with speed restrictions and roadworks along the M1 between Junctions 10 and 13 between Luton and Milton Keynes where two major improvement projects are underway.
However, where possible, roadworks along the key routes are being reduced or delayed to help minimise any inconvenience to football supporters.
The regional control centres and the Highways Agency’s National Traffic Control Centre near Birmingham will be keeping a close eye on the potential for heavy traffic moving up and down the country before and after the semi-finals. The control centres will be responding dynamically to actual traffic flows on Saturday and Sunday.
Drivers are being advised there is much they can do to help themselves by:
- planning and leaving plenty of time for journeys
- checking travel conditions before setting out and, where it is safe to do so, during journeys
- ensuring they and their cars are fit for the 400 mile round trip to Wembley – including taking regular breaks and topping up with fuel.
John McTaggart, the Highways Agency’s Regional Operations Manager in charge of the North West Traffic Officer Service, said: “Traffic along certain routes like parts of the M6 is likely to be heavier than normal for a weekend and our Traffic Officers in the North West will be working hard with colleagues in other regions to help get football fans to the matches and home again safely.
“Drivers can take a few simple steps to help themselves by planning their journeys, driving to conditions and heeding any advice they come across in radio traffic alerts or on our electronic signs.”
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