WIREDGOV

Advice to drivers - A43 closure and diversions for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Northamptonshire June 19-21

HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release (EMRCC/1106) issued by COI News Distribution Service on 11 June 2009

Road users planning to use the A43 in Northamptonshire during the weekend of the British Grand Prix are advised to plan their journey and keep up to date with the latest road conditions.

Last year approximately 47,000 vehicles travelled to the circuit over the three days of racing with similar numbers expected for the 2009 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

To help improve traffic flow the Highways Agency will be closing the A43 to through traffic between Brackley and Towcester. Road users heading for the Grand Prix will be directed along one-way systems, which will be reversed as traffic leaves the event.

Race-goers will be able to visit the Highways Agency exhibitions stand at Silverstone to learn more about how to plan their journeys.

Highways Agency staff will be available on each day to answer questions from the public and explain more about the different information available to allow motorists to make choices before and during their journeys.

During the Grand Prix weekend the A43 closure will be in place from 5am until 9pm on Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June and non-race traffic is advised to avoid the area if possible.

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.
* Road users 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.

Race-goers who hold park and ride passes will not be able to access the Silverstone car parks but should follow the instructions provided with their tickets.

Diversions will be set up for road users not heading to the Grand Prix and these will be well signed:
* Southbound traffic wishing to leave the M1 at J15a will be diverted to Junction 15, 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 M1 Junction 15

* Local diversions will also be set up for light traffic.

These special traffic arrangements are designed to help both race-goers and non-Silverstone traffic by improving safety and reducing the congestion caused by traffic heading to the circuit.

Highways Agency route performance manager Paul Sinfield said:
"The Highways Agency wants to help motorists make their journeys as safely and reliably as possible, so we urge drivers to plan their journeys and keep up-to-date with the latest conditions on the roads.

"For the first time this year race-goers will be able to check the travel conditions on our website directly from their mobile phones before leaving the circuit using our new mobile website, although we urge road users to only do so when safe and legal.

"The traffic arrangements around Silverstone have worked well in previous years and we want to reduce the impact to race-goers, long distance drivers and local residents as much as we can."

Road users heading to Silverstone from the South should be aware of an overnight closure of the M25 between junctions 17 - Rickmansworth - and 18 - Chorleywood - in both directions to allow the safe demolition of Park Avenue footbridge.

The closure will operate between 10pm on Saturday 20 June to 7am on Sunday 21 June. Fully signed local diversion routes will be in place.

Routes to Silverstone on the English motorway and trunk road network can be checked for travel conditions and roadworks in advance by visiting http://www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo, from a mobile phone on http://www.highways.gov.uk/mobile, by phoning the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 or by tuning into the Highways Agency's Traffic Radio, available on DAB digital radio and at http://www.trafficradio.org.uk.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Issued by the Highways Agency.

1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England's motorways and trunk roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.

2. During the Grand Prix weekend there will be regular traffic bulletins on local and national radio, within the circuit on Silverstone Radio and also on the Highways Agency's DAB Traffic Radio service.

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 http://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 http://www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo or http://www.highways.gov.uk/mobile if using a phone or mobile device.
Before using a 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. (Calls from BT landlines to 0870 numbers will cost no more than 8p per minute; mobile calls usually cost more).

4. For more general information about the Highways Agency and its work, visit the Highways Agency website http://www.highways.gov.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 at any time. (Calls to 0845 numbers cost no more than 3p/min from BT residential landlines. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary.

Before using a 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.)

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