Traffic plan sorted for city racedays

7:40am Friday 25th July 2008

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IT is hoped traffic management schemes will keep jams and congestion at bay during tonight and tomorrow’s race meetings.

The racecourse is hosting its only evening meeting of the year today from 4pm with the racing beginning at 6pm. Live bands will follow the action on the course.

In the hope of avoiding Friday night rush-hour chaos, City of York Council is putting in place a number of measures to ensure commuters can get home and race-goers can get to the course.

The schemes will also be in place for tomorrow’s meeting, gates open at 11.15am and the racing starts at 2.10pm.

Council officers have said direction signs will be put in place on major roads into the city to encourage traffic to approach the racecourse via the A1237/A64.

There will be additional signs within the city boundaries to reinforce this.

“No waiting” cones will also be placed in Knavesmire Road, Campleshon Road, Albemarle Road, Knavesmire Avenue, Knavesmire Crescent, Bishopthorpe Road and on one side of Church Lane, in Bishopthorpe.

For tomorrow only, as vehicles leaves the racecourse the traffic lights at the Sim Balk Lane and Tadcaster Road junction will be turned off. This means there will be no right turn towards the city for traffic leaving Sim Balk Lane.

All traffic leaving the A64 to travel to Bishopthorpe will be directed towards the Askham Bar roundabout to make a u-turn. Vehicles will then approach the junction from the city direction and be able to turn left into Sim Balk Lane.

It is thought that these additional restrictions will be in place from 4.30pm until 7pm, although times may vary depending on traffic flow.

The meeting tonight is always a popular event as after the racing has finished the crowd can listen to live bands.

This year racecourse bosses have lined up tribute acts paying homage to Elvis, Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue.

Tomorrow, the racing will be followed by Killer Queen.