Delivery operators in London will have to plan for significant disruption during the 2012 Olympic Games as special “games lanes” will be created on key routes in the capital.
Some 61 miles of the busiest roads in London will have games lanes, under plans set out by the Olympics organisers and Transport for London.
The games lanes will be part of the Olympic Route Network and Paralympic Route Network (ORN/PRN). The network will total 105 miles in London and will be roadwork free and subject to measures such as traffic signal timing changes.
A further 173 miles of road outside London will be part of the ORN/PRN.
Other measures on the ORN apart from games lanes will include side road closures, banned turns, changes to traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, adjustments to bus and coach stops and the temporary suspension of bus stops.
The transport plan is the work of the Olympic Delivery Authority, the London 2012 Organising Committee, Transport for London, the Department for Transport and the Department for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.
They say that recent games including Beijing, Athens and Sydney have all used a system of temporary games lanes.
And they calculate that some 82,000 people will be eligible to use the network including athletes, officials, media and 25,000 marketing partners.
Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt said: “Where games lanes are required there will inevitably be some temporary disruption to everyday life, but we must give athletes the best chance to train and compete effectively. That means ensuring they get to their events on time and minimising the time they spend travelling.”
