It has taken many years to plan, but the London 2012 Summer Olympics is almost upon us. It won’t just be the athletes, their coaches, visiting dignitaries and ticket holders descending on the capital for the Games; transport providers will still be travelling in and out of London as they deliver goods all over the UK. Research and advanced planning is the only way couriers can continue to work as normal during the games.
It is not only London-based couriers who will be affected by the Games. There are many Olympic venues outside the capital that may cause traffic congestion and potentially lead to road closures. Couriers who may be affected should contact the local councils in these areas for more details.
Olympic venues outside of London:
• Brands Hatch – in Kent, approximately one hour’s travel from the Olympic Park
• City of Coventry Stadium – close to Coventry city centre in the Midlands
• Eton Dorney – near Windsor Castle, around 25 miles west of London
• Hadleigh Farm – to the east of London, in Essex
• Hampden Park – a few miles to the south of Glasgow city centre, Scotland
• Lee Valley White Water Centre – 30km north of the Olympic Park, part of Lee Valley Regional Park in Hertfordshire
• Millennium Stadium – centre of Cardiff, Wales
• Old Trafford – a few miles from Manchester city centre, north-west of England
• St James’ Park – city centre of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east of England
• Weymouth and Portland – Dorset, south coast of England
Central and east London will be particularly busy during the Games. On the busiest days, there will be an additional 3 million journeys in the capital. Temporary road changes will be introduced along the Olympic Route Network (ORN) – a 109-mile network of roads connecting key venues, accommodation and transport hubs across London. Couriers can view an overview map of the ORN on Transport for London’s website.
Transport for London has also provided an online journey planner to enable people to see how driving journey times in the capital are likely to be affected during the Games.