Live Olympic Torch Relay blog (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Get there early - traffic is going to be total chaos with Winchester Road closed from 9am onwards.

I'd like to congratulate the local council on their excellent route planning for the torch. I really would, but it's pants and will inconvenience tons of people who really couldn't give a flying fudge about it.

Stick that in your blog and smoke it.

Travel Disruption

Please note there will be travel disruption from about 9am in the area of the Torch Relay as a result of road closures and restrictions. In summary the roads affected on 11 July will be:

Winchester Road (between Pittard Road and Winchester Road Roundabout)

This will have a full road closure in place between 9am and 2pm.

This means:

Traffic from Winchester Road Roundabout wishing to use Winchester Road to travel towards the town centre will need to use alternative routes via the Ringway (eg Ringway South, Hackwood Road and New Road, or Ringway West, Churchill Way West and New Road).
Traffic wishing to use Winchester Road to leave the town centre should use an alternative route to the Ringway and rejoin Winchester Road at Winchester Road Roundabout.
Access by local traffic from the town centre to roads off Winchester Road will be maintained, however access to Portacre Rise will be via Pittard Road, and access to Wessex Close and Culver Road will be via Cordale Road.

Winchester Road (between Winton Square and Penrith Road)

This will operate as a westbound one-way system between 9am and 2pm (ie with traffic flow away from the town centre).

This means:

Traffic exiting onto Winchester Road from Pittard Road, Cordale Road, Bounty Road, Brambly's Drive, other side roads and properties will be directed along Penrith Road to Sarum Hill for onward travel.

Penrith Road (northern section)

This will have temporary parking restrictions.

This means:

Residents' permit parking bays outside numbers 3-37 will be suspended from 9am. This is to help the flow of traffic along Penrith Road and to allow a temporary park and ride bus service to operate smoothly. The suspension will be lifted at approximately 3pm

Brinklett's Car Park, Winchester Road

The car park will be closed for use by the public from 6pm on 10 July to 8am on 12 July. This is required for official vehicles that are accompanying the Torch Relay.


Other roads on the torch relay route

All other roads will remain open for traffic to proceed with caution.

For all roads on the route this means:

There will be event management vehicles and staff along the route from early morning and after the Torch Relay has passed through
There will be crowd barriers on each side of the road
There will be stewards in high visibility jackets on the road side of the barriers
There will be large crowds walking to and assembling along the route
There may be sponsors' vehicles and staff interacting with the crowd
There may be other vehicles such as outside broadcast units located along the route
Your journey is likely to be delayed along the roads on the route and close to the route
If it is considered necessary to do so for public safety reasons, some additional roads may be restricted or closed on the day
Access to town centre car parks (except Brinkletts car park) will be maintained.

All roads along the route will have restricted access at the time the torch convoys pass through between approximately 12.15pm and 1pm.

This means:

Police and stewards will stop traffic at key junctions and side roads on the route while the torch relay convoys pass; it is expected that this will cause stationary traffic for about 10-15 minutes and queues are likely to build up.
Traffic following the convoy vehicles will be very slow; it will take just over 20 minutes to complete the distance from Festival Way to Brighton Hill Retail Park behind each convoy.
Traffic disruption is expected to clear by 2pm.

Please make appropriate alternative arrangements if you need to travel through Basingstoke, or if someone needs to travel to you, so that the disruption does not cause you or others problems. If you are intending to watch the Torch Relay please allow enough time to park in designated car parks and walk to your chosen viewing area.

Ive got a bike...Im alright :)

Good on Margie Doherty a Basingstoke resident running with the torch this will be her most monumental day of days. So out of 160 thousand estimated residents of basingstoke and deane is no one else from basingstoke worthy of running with the torch ?. There are 6 runners and only one basingstoke citizen. What an insult to the many people who give there time/lives unselfishly to help the community, what an insult to the local residents who strive to make a difference on behalf of the community.

I totally agree. I put in a personal nomination for Dave Holby who I believe to be the most worthy resident of Basingstoke to run the torch; he has worked tirelessly for local charities. I still can't believe he wasn't nominated. Farce?

debby.morgan@tiscali
.co.uk wrote:
I totally agree. I put in a personal nomination for Dave Holby who I believe to be the most worthy resident of Basingstoke to run the torch; he has worked tirelessly for local charities. I still can't believe he wasn't nominated. Farce?

I am pleased you nominated Dave Holby but the chances of him being chosen was always going to be a lottery unless the he was also backed by a corporate sponsor.
On a point of order, there are six Basingstoke runners but five of them are carrying their torches in other areas of the country - surely this mixing of people is all part of the spirit of The Olympics!