With thousands of motorists from home and abroad beginning to descend on Silverstone next week, police have unveiled ddetails of their plans to cope witht he extra demand in traffic.
The aim of the traffic plan, which again will see the A43 closed for three days, is to ensure motorists get into the event as quickly and safely as possible, and also to ensure that those motorists not going to the Grand Prix can by-pass Silverstone smoothly.
The Formula 1 showpiece takes place at the Northamptonshire circuit between July 6 and 8.
Interest in this year’s race is again extremely high with huge support for British drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button and a sell-out crowd and a high volume of race traffic is anticipated for the nation’s largest weekend sporting event.
As always, the police message to non-race traffic is clear, avoid the roads around Silverstone for the duration of the race weekend.
Race traffic will be directed into the circuit via a one-way system on the A43 and the traffic flow will then be reversed at the end of the event.
A temporary restriction on heavy goods vehicles – those more than 7.5 tonnes – will be put in place to avoid any of these vehicles becoming ‘trapped’ in the Silverstone area.
This restriction will apply between the hours of 4.30am and 9pm on all three days of the event.
“We strongly advise anyone not going to the Grand Prix to steer clear of Silverstone for the duration of the meeting,” said Superintendent Sean Bell, this year’s Grand Prix event commander.
“In particular we would urge all road users to be patient and to make sure they pay attention to the signage for the event.
“We will be maximising the use of the road network in and around Silverstone to get everyone to and from the event as quickly and safely as possible.
All Grand Prix traffic approaching on the M1, from either direction, will be directed off the motorway at Junction 15A to join the A43 southbound and traffic on the A5 will filter into this traffic stream at Towcester.
Traffic approaching via the M40 will be routed along the A43 northbound from Junction 10.
For more detailed traffic information please visit the Silverstone section of Northamptonshire Police’s website www.northants.police.uk/silverstone
Main diversion routes will be as follows:-
SOUTHBOUND
M1 Junction 15A to Junction 15, A508 to Milton Keynes, A422 to Buckingham, A421 to A43 (regional diversion route)
This route is mainly single carriageway
NORTHBOUND
A43 onto A421 to Buckingham, A422 to Milton Keynes, A508 to M1 Junction 15, M1 Junction 15 to 15A at Northampton
This route is mainly single carriageway