Road Closures -As Olympic Flame is Welcomed.

Allow extra time for journeys on Olympic Torch day. As preparations continue to welcome the Olympic Torch to Wolverhampton, motorists are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys on the big day.

The Flame will arrive in the city next Saturday (June 30, 2012) – and excitement is already building ahead of the once-in-a-lifetime event.

The Torch will enter Wolverhampton just after 2.40pm, and will be carried along Willenhall Road and Horseley Fields towards the city centre, where it will arrive at around 3.15pm. It will then be carried along Bilston Street, Pipers Row, Lichfield Street, Queen Square, Victoria Street and Salop Street before joining Ring Road St Marks and Ring Road St Johns.

It will then turn onto the A4123 Birmingham Road at around 3.40pm and head south east along what becomes the Birmingham New Road towards Dudley, crossing the Wolverhampton city boundary just after 4.15pm.

To mark the occasion, there will be a wide range of events and activities taking place along the length of the route celebrating fun and fitness in Wolverhampton.

There are also three other major attractions in the city on the same day – which is being dubbed “Super Saturday” – including a parade to mark Armed Forces Day, the University of Wolverhampton’s SciFest and a Blue Peter event in West Park.

However all these events, coupled with the Torch being carried along more than six miles of main roads, means that motorists and residents are being advised to expect some temporary disruption on the day.

Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communities, said: “The arrival of the Olympic Torch to Wolverhampton is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion and something that everyone will want to be a part of. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for our city to shine and so we’re organising scores of free events for all the family right along the route.

“It will be a major undertaking for our city and we’re working closely with West Midlands Police and Centro to minimise disruption to people travelling on that day so that the Torch relay keeps moving and everyone, including participants and spectators, remains safe.

“Some roads will be closed for either part or all of the day and there will be some changes to bus services, while we’d urge people travelling to the railway station to give themselves extra time to ensure they make their connection.

“We’ll be writing to all businesses and households on the route to let them know how they'll be affected and we'll be keeping everyone updated through our website and social media channels, including tweeting updates on the day of the event.”

The city council will be working in partnership with the police to operate a rolling road closure, meaning that sections of the roads on which the Torch will travel will be closed by the police as the relay procession approaches. The roads will reopen shortly after the convoy has passed.

The rolling road closures will be in operation in both directions along Willenhall Road, Horseley Fields, Middle Cross, Bilston Street, Pipers Row, Ring Road St Marks, Ring Road St Johns, Birmingham Road, Thompson Avenue and Birmingham New Road.

In addition, a number of junctions to side roads along the Torch route will be closed for a short period of time before and after its arrival. A number of other junctions will be closed between 9am and around 6pm on the day to ensure that traffic can continue to flow smoothly.

Roads in the city centre, including parts of Lichfield Street, Queen Square, Victoria Street and Salop Street, will also be closed between 9am and approximately 6pm to accommodate the Torch relay and the Armed Forces Day parade which is taking place earlier.

Motorists are advised that parking will be prohibited along the route of the Torch relay between 9am and approximately 6pm on June 30 as the roads must be cleared before the arrival of the convoy. Cars left parked along the route will be issued with fixed penalty notices and are liable to be towed away.

Councillor Mattu added: “Our teams will be working hard to ensure that the roads are clear for the arrival of the Olympic Torch and we’re keen to make motorists aware of the additional parking restrictions which will be in place along the route – while we don’t want to have to do it, cars parked in the way will regrettably have to be towed away.”

A number of buses will be diverted on the day, and more information is available from the Centro website at www.networkwestmidlands.com. Meanwhile, due to the temporary closure of Victoria Street, a temporary taxi rank will be in operation in Darlington Street between 9am and 6pm on June 30.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Forsyth of West Midlands Police said: “We are delighted that the Olympic Torch will be with us here in the West Midlands and thousands of people across the region will be joining in this great Olympic event.

“The torch will travel along some busy routes but hopefully everyone will understand the brief restrictions in place and will respect the cordons as the convoy passes through our region.

“We’ve been working very closely with our partners across the region to ensure everyone can enjoy the 2012 summer of celebration in safety and security.”

A list of the planned road closures, together large scale map of the route and details of the Olympic Torch events can be viewed at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/olympics2012.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1/ In addition to the rolling road closure which will be in operation along the route of the Torch convoy as it passes through Wolverhampton on Saturday June 30, 2012, the following temporary road closures will be in operation:

Road closed all day
Lichfield Street at Princess Square (Queen Square side)
Queens Square at North Street
Victoria Street at Queen Square
Victoria Street at Skinner Street (Queen Square side)

Side roads closed for the majority of the day
Hill Road at Willenhall Road
Hurstbourne Crescent at Willenhall Road
Willenhall Road Service Road entrance opposite Mayfield Medical Centre
East Park Way at Willenhall Road
Brooklands Parade at Willenhall Road
Coventry Street at Willenhall Road
Colliery Road at Willenhall Road
Corser Street at Lower Horseley Fields
Minerva Lane at Horseley Fields
St James Street at Horseley Fields
Howard Street at Birmingham Road
Brown Street at Birmingham Road
Dimmock Street at Birmingham New Road
Hill Avenue at Birmingham New Road
Meadow Lane at Birmingham New Road

Side roads closed for short period before and after arrival of Torch convoy
Noose Lane at Willenhall Road
Moseley Road at Willenhall Road
Neachells Lane at Willenhall Road
Stowheath Lane at Willenhall Road
Deans Road at Willenhall Road
Old Heath Road at Willenhall Road
Hickman Avenue at Willenhall Road
Lower Walsall Street at Willenhall Road
Horseley Fields at Ring Road St David's
Middle Cross at Bilston Street Island
Ring Road St David's at Bilston Street Island
Bilston Road at Bilston Street Island
Ring Road St George's at Bilston Street Island
Bilston Street at Pipers Row
Princess Street at Lichfield Street
Fryer Street/Railway Drive at Lichfield Street/Victoria Square
Princes Square at Lichfield Street
Worcester Street at Cleveland Street
School Street at Salop Street
Ring Road St Mark's at Chapel Ash (police)
Penn Road at Ring Road roundabout
Worcester Street at Penn Road roundabout
Snow Hill at Ring Road
Ring Road St George's at Snow Hill/Birmingham Road
Dudley Road at Ring Road St John's
Dudley Road at Birmingham Road
Cartwright Street at Birmingham Road
Derry Street at Birmingham Road
Silver Birch Road at Thompson Avenue
Dixon Street at Thompson Avenue
Parkfield Road at Birmingham New Road
Lawnswood Avenue at Birmingham New Road
Walton Crescent at Birmingham New Road
Needwood Grove at Birmingham New Road
Laburnum Road at Birmingham New Road
Ward Grove at Birmingham New Road
Mount road at Birmingham New Road
Spring Road at Birmingham New Road
Rookery Road at Birmingham New Road
Black country Route at Birmingham New Road
Shaw Road at Birmingham New Road
Challenor Avenue at Willenhall Road
Bowker Street at Willenhall Road
Portobello Close at Willenhall Road
Cleveland Close at Willenhall Road
Boundary Close at Willenhall Road
Plascom Road at Willenhall Road
Old Heath Crescent at Willenhall Road
Chillington Fields at Willenhall Road
Griffin Street at Willenhall Road
Cross Street at Willenhall Road
Qualcast Road at Lower Horseley Fields
Unnamed Road at Lower Horseley Fields
Shakespeare Street at Horseley Fields
Horseley Fields at Middle Cross
Ward Street at Middle Cross
Tower Street at Pipers Row
North Street at Queen Square
Great Brickkiln Street at Ring Road St Mark's
Lever Street at Birmingham Road
All Saints Road at Birmingham Road
Shayler Grove at Birmingham Road
Cockshutts Lane at Birmingham Road
Barnard Place at Thompson Avenue
Parkfield Crescent at Thompson Avenue
The Grove at Birmingham New Road
Birmingham New Road service road at shops
Birmingham New Road Service Road at Crabtree Close
Birmingham New Road service road (between Shaw Road and Meadow Lane)
Hessian Close at Birmingham New Road