Tall Ships traffic light tweaks
Hartlepool Borough Council will be making changes to traffic light sequences on roads approaching the Tall Ships Races site in the town in an effort to keep vehicles moving over the four-day event.
Up to one million visitors are expected to attend The Tall Ships Races - England's biggest free event this year - and council officers are keen to keep traffic flowing as freely as possible. Traffic lights at Greatham (Sapper's Corner), Queen's Meadow, Truro Drive, Belle Vue Way/Stockton Road, Stockton Street/Park Road, Stockton Street/Victoria Road, Church Square and Powlett Road/Milbank Road/Baker's Mead are to be adjusted for the duration of the event.
Priority will be given to traffic travelling along the main A689 and A179 roads, with extended "straight on" green light sequences at the Greatham (Sapper's Corner), Queen's Meadow, Truro Drive and Powlett Road junctions.
The green light phases on the other legs of the junctions will be shorter, meaning that it will take longer for vehicles to join the A689 and A179.
At the Stockton Street/Park Road, Stockton Street/Victoria Road and Church Square junctions priority will again be given to "straight on" traffic. Vehicles coming out of Park Road and Victoria Road will only be able to turn left onto the A689 with straight on and right turns banned. At Church Square, straight on movements from side roads and right turns will also be banned.
Highways officials will monitor the operation of all the traffic lights throughout the Tall Ships event, and they will look to manually control junctions should problems arise.
Peter Frost, Hartlepool Borough Council's traffic team leader, said: "We feel that these arrangements are the best way of keeping traffic flowing, We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience they cause, but we would also urge drivers to bear with us."
Changes to traffic light sequences are scheduled to be introduced on the evening of Thursday 5 August evening and will remain in place until Wednesday 11 August.
Double yellow lines
- Motorists are being reminded that the double yellow lines placed on a number of key routes across Hartlepool will only be enforced from Friday 6 August until Tuesday 10 August. The lines are needed to that park and ride and emergency service routes are kept clear at all times.
Getting around during the Tall Ships Races
For more information about travelling around town during the Tall Ships Races, visit our travel and transport section.