Driver advice for Creamfields weekender
| Published: 19th August 2008 17:27 |
The Highways Agency's North West Traffic Officer Service is advising drivers that traffic is likely to be busy around the M56 and M6 over the bank holiday weekend with some 30,000 music lovers heading to the annual Creamfields festival.Anyone thinking of driving to Creamfields this week is advised to plan their journey and leave plenty of time to get to the festival site on Daresbury Estate near Runcorn, just off Junction 11 of the M56.
Traffic Officers at the North West Regional Control Centre at Newton-le-Willows, nerve centre of the regional Traffic Officer Service, will use their electronic motorway signs across the local network to guide festival goers to the site.
Meanwhile other road users are being advised that the M56 around Junctions 10, 11 and 12 around Runcorn is likely to be busy at key times of the weekend. The M56 interchange with the M6 is also likely to be busy at times. Electronic signs along the M6, M56 and M62 have already been displaying advice to drivers warning about the event.
Highways Agency contractors are also deploying portable variable message signs near the venue to give advice to drivers.
The Highways Agency is advising motorists to check the latest travel information before setting out as well as listening for radio traffic alerts and heeding electronic signs once they are on the move.
Creamfields 2008 is a full two day event taking place on Saturday and Sunday (August 23 and August 24) so there is likely to be traffic around the site well into Bank Holiday Monday (August 25) with campers leaving then.
The North West Traffic Officer Service has been working closely with Cheshire Police and festival organisers to manage the impact on the local motorway network.
Highways Agency Traffic Officers at Knutsford will have particular responsibility for monitoring traffic conditions on the M56 around the festival but will be supplemented by an extra patrol from the Rob Lane outstation at Newton-Le-Willows.
A spokesman for the North West Traffic Officer Service, said, "We will be doing all we can to manage traffic around the event and keep drivers on the move - festival goers and other drivers can help themselves by planning their journeys and keeping themselves up to date with traffic information.
"Previous festivals have passed off fairly successfully although we have had one or two issues with pedestrians from the festival on the motorway network. We would like to remind everyone that the motorway is no place for pedestrians - it is dangerous and illegal and having pedestrians on the network can cause delay for legitimate road users."
Drivers can get up-to-the-minute traffic information by calling the Highways Agency Information Line (HAIL) on 08457 504030. The HA's website, at http://www.highways.gov.uk and Traffic Radio (on DAB radio as well as http://www.trafficradio.org.uk) also gives live traffic information and useful journey planning advice
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