Transport for London (TfL) has warned that roads around the Olympic Park, the City and the east of London will start becoming busier from early next week with the Paralympic Games, taking place from August 29 until September 9.
The Paralympic Route Network (PRN) preparation works, taking place overnight to keep disruption to a minimum, will start tomorrow (Saturday, August 25).
By Tuesday August 28 final preparations, such as placing barriers to restrict turning manoeuvres across the PRN, will be put in place in time for it to begin operation and for the Games lanes in London to be enforced from 6am on Wednesday August 29, the day of the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony.
The PRN will help ensure all athletes, officials and the world’s media can get to events on time during the Games.
The 36 mile long PRN is considerably smaller than the Olympic Route Network (ORN) and is focused on the east of London.
There are 8.7 miles of Games lanes on the routes between the City of London financial district, where the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the world’s media will be based, the Olympic Park and other venues, including ExCeL, North Greenwich Arena, Greenwich Park and the Royal Artillery Barracks.
There is an additional Games lane between junctions 3 and 2 of the eastbound M4, which is operated by the Highways Agency.
As during the Olympic Games, the Games lanes will be operated flexibly and will be opened up to all traffic when demand from Paralympic Games vehicles is low and capacity is available.
A network of around 100 Variable Message Signs (VMS) along the PRN will clearly state to drivers that they may continue to use the road network as normal and that they are not restricted from using the lanes marked out with the Olympic rings symbols until operation of the PRN begins on August 29 and when open to all traffic during the Games.
As was the case with the ORN, owners of vehicles who break the PRN regulations in London, including driving in Games lanes, stopping along the route or contravening banned turns, risk a penalty charge of £130.
However TfL said that there is no interest in unnecessarily penalising drivers and it hopes to see them comply in the way they did for the ORN during the Olympic Games which had a 98% compliance rate.
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