City centre travel is likely to be busier than usual this Wednesday evening (29 January) so commuters are being urged to plan ahead and consider the time they travel to avoid delays.
With tens of thousands of football fans travelling to watch Manchester City take on local rivals, United, at the Etihad, coach loads of concert goers descending on the Arena to see Young Voices and highway improvements taking place, journeys are expected to take longer than usual.
The busiest time to travel is forecast to be between 4.00pm and 7.45pm as the evening rush begins and people leave the city centre after work and others travel in to get to the Etihad and the Arena.
Where possible, people are advised to use public transport as roads are likely to be busier due to highway improvements taking place in and around the city centre.
Today (27 January) saw work get underway to fix a well-known pinch point on Hyde Road and additional traffic management was introduced to the ongoing Great Ancoats Street scheme. Both routes are regularly used by commuters and are popular for those driving to the Etihad.
Graham Banks, Travel Demand Manager for TfGM, said: “This Wednesday evening looks set to be the busiest of the new year so far and so we’re urging everyone to play their part in helping to reduce congestion by planning their journeys in advance.
“Given the highway schemes that are now underway, motorists are likely to see longer travel times in and out of the city centre and so where possible, we’d recommend using alternative routes or using tram or bus to get around.
“We work closely with both football clubs so hopefully fans are already planning their travel but for anyone who needs help with planning their journeys, or would just like to find out more about what’s taking place, they should visit the TfGM website for all the latest info.”
Transport for Greater Manchester has a dedicated travel advice page that contains information about all the major events and highway schemes taking place to help people get around – tfgm.com/traveladvice.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here