Surrey’s busiest day of the Olympic torch relay

The torch relay passed through Egham earlier this week. Download this picture here.

The Olympic torch will visit a string of Surrey towns and villages on Friday before stopping in Guildford for a celebration in the park.

Surrey’s busiest day of the relay will feature more than 50 torchbearers in the county. They include Austin Playfoot, 82, from Elstead, who carried the Olympic flame the last time the Games came to the UK in 1948.

The torch will pass through Godstone, Bletchingley, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking, Westcott, Shere and Godalming, before reaching Guildford at about 6pm for a night of celebration in Stoke Park.

There will be temporary rolling road closures enforced by motorcycle police while the procession goes through the towns and villages.

Along with the torch relay, the county will host the men’s and women’s Olympic road cycling races on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July, as well as the cycling time trials on Wednesday 1 August. Detailed maps of all the routes are available online at gosurrey.info.

Preparations have been going on for more than two years to ensure the Games in Surrey are a success. Inevitably events on an Olympic scale will cause disruption, which is why residents and businesses are being asked to plan ahead and be prepared.

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 most roads three hours after the last race vehicle passes.It’s expected to take longer in areas where there’ll be larger crowds such as around Dorking town centre, Hampton Court, Leatherhead town centre and Box Hill.

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.

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.”

Visit www.gosurrey.info for more information on the Olympic Games in Surrey.