‘Never Forget’ to plan your Take That journey says Highways Agency
Take That fans travelling to the band’s mini-season of concerts at the City of Manchester Stadium are getting help from the Highways Agency – but are being urged to plan their journeys before taking to the region’s motorways.
Around 66,000 people a night are expected at the Take That concerts, which begin on Friday (June 3) and end on Sunday, June 12 – with only two non-concert dates in between.
The Highways Agency, which operates the region’s motorways and key A roads, works hard every year to assess and plan for the impact of specific events by adjusting roadworks and deploying Highways Agency Traffic Officers to keep event-goers, as well as other road users, on the move.
But says Matt Sweeting, the Highways Agency’s Asset Delivery Manager, it only takes a minute to check traffic conditions before setting out.
Matt said, “We’ll be working hard to keep Take That fans and other road users on the move as safely and as smoothly as possible but anyone attending the concerts can help themselves with just a little journey planning – whether that is a bit of vehicle maintenance to ensure they don’t break down on the way or simply checking how much traffic is out there before setting off.
“The Highways Agency provides a range of information services to help our road users so planning for journeys has really never been easier.”
Officials in the North West work closely with contractors to assess and minimise the impact of planned roadworks on concert-goers and sports fans heading to and home from major events.
The Highways Agency’s North West Traffic Officer Service also plays its role with on road patrols keeping an eye out for congestion and clearing up breakdowns and accidents as quickly as possible to get people on the move again.
Extra patrols can be deployed for specific events while colleagues in the North West Regional Control Centre monitor traffic from CCTV images and set electronic signs to give drivers advance warning of events as well as live advice relating to incidents or diversions.
Take That fans heading to the City of Manchester Stadium this weekend and next will be helped by the Highways Agency’s decision to delay setting out and removing the contraflow system for the important roadworks along the M60 between Junction 19 at Middleton and Junction 23 at Ashton-under-Lyne.
Setting up and removing the contraflow on Friday and Sunday nights respectively requires a late-evening, full-closure of the carriageway for safety reasons. But this will be delayed on Friday June 3 and Friday June 10 and Sunday June 5 and Sunday June 11 to allow fans to get away from the Take That concerts.
The contraflow will be in place as usual during the day on Saturdays and Sundays but planned lane closures for weekday work have been cancelled to help concert-goers.
Other motorways around Manchester and across to the M6 will also have a three hour delay on starting roadworks to help Take That fans get out of Manchester and on their way home as smoothly as possible. And roadworkers operating along other routes in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and south Lancashire have been told to keep a minimum of two lanes open at all times on concert nights.
However, fans are being advised to plan ahead and leave a little extra time for journeys.
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