Plan ahead and enjoy Olympics in Surrey

Games cycling races in Surrey

• Free iPhone app for Olympic cycling events

• 42 miles of barrier to create largest Olympic venue of the Games

• Olympic newsletters to help Surrey get ready for the Games

• Olympic drop-in sessions to help Surrey prepare for 2012 Games

• Olympic chief hails Surrey as one of Britain’s best

• Jeremy Hunt praises council’s Olympic work

Torch relay in the county

• UK’s oldest firefighter to carry Olympic torch in Surrey

• Thousands celebrate the Olympic torch relay in Surrey

• Olympic torch relay comes to Surrey
  

For all the news about the Olympics in Surrey click here 

Making the Olympics in Surrey a success

Preparations have been going on for more than two years to ensure the Olympic Games in Surrey are a success.

They are already bringing huge economic and sporting benefits to the county. More than £740 million worth of Games related contracts have been won by Surrey businesses and thousands of children have taken part in the Surrey School Games.

Inevitably staging the men’s and women’s Olympic road cycling races on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July and the cycling time trials on Wednesday 1 August, will cause disruption. This is why residents and businesses are being asked to plan ahead and be prepared.

A group of 2,012 school children created a giant human London 2012 logo to celebrate Surrey County Council’s P&G Surrey School Games. This photo and others showing Surrey’s involvement in the Olympics can be downloaded from our flickr page.

Extensive road closures and parking restrictions will be in place around the cycle routes from the early hours of the morning on event days. The aim is to reopen roads three hours after the last race vehicle passes.

With hundreds of thousands of people expected to watch the Olympic events in Surrey, getting around will be difficult, which is why people are advised to stay close to their local areas and walk. Even after the events finish, the county’s roads and public transport will be very busy for some time as people make their way home.

Newsletters have been sent to residents and businesses within 100 metres of the cycle race and time trial routes to provide people with the information they need to prepare. All that information, plus everything else people in Surrey need to know to prepare for the Games, is available at gosurrey.info.

Surrey hosted the torch for the first time on 10 July when it came to Egham before visits to Felbridge (17 July) and Godstone, Bletchingley, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking, Westcott, Shere, Godalming and Guildford (20 July). Guildford is the venue for a night of Games celebrations on 20 July. For the torch relay there will be temporary rolling road closures enforced by motorcycle police while the procession passes and roads will be closed to all traffic. Pedestrians will be able to walk alongside the route.

Helyn Clack, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services and the 2012 Games, said: “The message is simple – be prepared and plan ahead to enjoy the Olympic Games in Surrey and to minimise the inevitable disruption that staging events of this size will bring.

“Journeys will take longer than usual, roads will be closed and public transport will be busier than usual. We’ve provided all the information people need to plan their journeys and we would urge them to use it.

“The Games have already brought huge economic, cultural and sporting benefits to Surrey and are a once on a lifetime opportunity to watch Olympic history unfold literally on our doorsteps. With some planning and foresight we can all enjoy it.”