Travel Chaos Expected In Areas Holding Cycling Worlds Events

A new travel campaign to help the public, spectators and business plan ahead for the UCI Cycling World Championships has been launched.

Led by the Scottish Government and supported by key partners including Traffic Scotland, Get Ready Glasgow, Police Scotland, local authorities and the event organisers, the advice focuses on which roads and areas are going to be very busy and when. It also flags public transport options and is encouraging people to leave the car at home, where possible, for the fortnight of sporting excellence.

Much of Scotland is participating and going to be impacted by the unique occasion, which runs from August 3^rd-13^th . It is the single biggest cycling event in history, bringing together thirteen existing events into one championship.

The awareness campaign will include maps, business briefings, social media content, community engagement sessions, and paid for media content, including TV, radio and digital adverts. It features advice on how to plan ahead, be prepared, avoid peak travel periods, where to access public transport, and to check before you travel, especially around areas impacted by significant road closures.

Further information is available here: Transport and Travel | 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships (cyclingworldchamps.com) and also at www.traffic.gov.scot/uci

Get Ready Glasgow and Glasgow City Council will be running a specific stand-alone campaign for residents and businesses.

Key dates and likely impacts include: 

• Aug 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th – this is already a busy weekend for people moving around the country and we have the Glasgow road closures as well as the A82 in play for movements to Fort William
• On Aug 4^th there is also the Gran Fondo event in Perthshire featuring closure of a key junction on the A9 as well as a full closure of the A85 between Perth and Methven
• Aug 6^th is likely to be the busiest day on the network, with closures in and around Edinburgh towards Stirling, most notably on the M9 at Junctions 1A (Newbridge) and 7 (Kinnaird House Interchange) to allow the Men’s elite race to pass over the Queensferry Crossing. There will also be movements from Fort William to Peebles (A82, M8, A720) and closures in and around Glasgow city centre.
• On Aug 12^th there are Glasgow road race closures, movements on A82 to Balloch, movements on A75 Dumfries and M74.
• Aug 13^th, the final day sees Glasgow road race closures and movements on A82 to Balloch, likely to be the 3^rd busiest day.

Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop said:

“With only a few weeks to go, a sense of anticipation is clearly building for what is expected to be the biggest cycling event ever to take place here in Scotland.

“However as well as all of the excitement, it is important our preparations are fit for purpose and that we showcase Scotland in a spectacular and professional light. We were rightly praised for our efforts around Operation Unicorn and now we must rise to the occasion again.

“We have worked closely with organisers, Police Scotland, local authorities and many others to test travel arrangements, however given the complex nature and scale of this operation road users should expect delays at certain points and on the busier days.

“For the public, spectators, businesses and key responders there is a raft of advice available on the Traffic Scotland, CWC, Scottish Government and public transport operator websites and twitter feeds, including www.traffic.gov.scot/uci

Hugh Gillies, director at Transport Scotland, said: 

“Scotland has a proud track record of hosting these large scale events, dating back to Glasgow 2014, and more recently COP26 and Operation Unicorn.

“We will need all of that experience and skill to successfully deliver this series of events – and it will genuinely need to be a team effort.

“Traffic modelling shows that we are set for a number of days where queues and congestion are likely, and that’s before we factor in any incidents on the network.

“We really need the public and spectators to play their part and check before they travel, to maximise their enjoyment and ensure Scotland is on the global map for all the right reasons.”

Paul Bush OBE, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Chair, said:

“Glasgow and Scotland will soon welcome the cycling world for the first of its kind event, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. A huge amount of planning has gone into the event to ensure it delivers tangible benefits for the country while also showcasing to the world all that Scotland has to offer.

“To ensure everyone gets the most out of the Championships, whether you are attending an event or not, please plan ahead and check the relevant websites for the most up to date information to ensure you have the best experience possible.”

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams, police lead for the event, said:

“We are supporting local authorities and transport planning partners to minimise disruption. The advice is to plan ahead. Our priority is to maximise public safety.”