Three major cycling events, that will see more than 30,000 cyclists pass through the borough and Surrey, are coming this August and the Council wants residents to be prepared for road closures and increased traffic.
The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 involves amateur cyclists, and the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic, involves some of the top international professional cyclists. Also back this year is the Prudential RideLondon - Surrey 46 which will see 3000 amateur cyclists take on a 46-mile cycle. All three of these cycling events will see cyclists pass through the area throughout the day.
The events are part of The RideLondon festival of cycling, which starts on the 3rd August 2019. The weekend of cycling aims to give a major boost to the number of active cyclists in the UK, while attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators to London and Surrey.
Sunday 4 August will see bridge and road closures throughout the Capital including in Richmond Park, Hampton Court Road, parts of the A316 and the Upper Richmond Road.
All of these roads form part of the outbound route for the cyclists taking part in the events, which start in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and runs through London, Richmond upon Thames and Surrey before returning to the capital to finish along The Mall.
Due to the closure of Hammersmith Bridge, this year’s RideLondon event will have more impact on the local area than in previous years. Residents are encouraged to plan early this year, making sure they are well aware of the road closures and plan their day accordingly. There will also be significant delays to all road journeys.
Cllr Alexander Ehmann, Richmond Council Chair of the Transport and Air Quality Committee, said:
“Prudential RideLondon is back again. However, this year there is the added closure of Hammersmith Bridge. This will of course put additional pressure on our road and transport network.
“I advise residents and businesses not to wait until the last minute. If you are going on holiday, going to see friends or family, expecting a delivery or guests, getting to work or have other plans for the 4th August, make sure that you know how the closures will impact your journey.”
For more details of the road closures, go to: www.richmond.gov.uk/ride_london. For information about the events themselves, and how to watch them, visit the Prudential RideLondon website.
– from a Richmond Council press release - 8 July 2019