January 22, 2010
Festival fans are being warned to avoid some major traffic hotspots tomorrow (Saturday, January 23) as the Tamworth festival moves up a gear for its big weekend schedule.
Festival organisers say the city will be jam packed and motorists, festival workers, and fans should take into account some major events that will have a big impact on transport routes and parking.
The cavalcade tomorrow from 9:00am down Peel Street will have a major bearing on traffic flows around the city for two hours.
Traffic heading towards the festival centre spots around Peel Street from south Tamworth can use Scott Road all morning, but there will be limited access into Peel Street.
Peel St at the Murray Street intersection – that’s from the roundabout near Red Rooster to Hill Street – is closed between 7:00am and 10:00am – but traffic heading into town can still use Murray Street and turn into Marius Street to access some parts of the CBD and the ring road. There will be rolling closures of some blocks as the cavalcade moves down Peel Street.
At the other end of the main cavalcade route, Peel St will be closed from Darling to Bligh Street from 7:00am to 11:00am because that’s near the end of the parade and there will be something like 80 floats dispersing in that area.
And traffic heading back along Scott Rd and out of the CBD after the cavalcade will also experience major delays and congestion. If you want to avoid that, leave earlier or later.
And traffic heading to the Longyard area for events at TRECC or the equine centre should avoid taking a car – and ride the bus instead – because it could be a major jam and parking will be at a premium. Major problem times will be 5:30pm to about 7:00pm and again when the Golden Guitar awards at TRECC and the National Finals Rodeo at AELEC finish from 10:00pm.
Traffic heading from AELEC should exit from the equine centre via the highway roundabout and avoid the traffic flow from the TRECC car parks which will generally use the Greg Norman Drive exit.
Traffic control staff will be on duty and motorists should obey all traffic directions and requests but are warned to expect delays with about 8,000 people leaving the area.