The Olympic Route Network

Theresa Villiers Excerpts

Monday 11th July 2011 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Mrs Theresa Villiers)]

The Olympic Route Network Designation (Amendment) Order 2011 has today been laid before Parliament. The order comes into force on 8 August.

This order, made by the Olympic Delivery Authority following a three-month public consultation, makes a number of changes to the roads originally designated in a June 2009 order as forming the Olympic route network (ORN). The ORN is a set of roads that will be used during the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic games to provide safe and reliable transport for athletes, officials, the media and marketing partners (together the “games family”) between sporting and non-sporting venues.

The amendments set out in the order comprise both additions to and removals from the designated roads, and add a net 1.3% to the length of the ORN. The changes reflect the work carried out by the ODA and its delivery partners since the initial designation on the plans for implementing the ORN and for the games more widely—particularly on the movement of vehicles carrying members of the games family on the approaches to the competition venues. The changes aim to secure more effectively safe and reliable transport for the games family and reduce the impacts of ORN operations on normal business. They reflect ODA’s careful consideration of the 43 responses received to the consultation exercise on proposed changes carried out last year.

Staging the games presents a significant challenge to our transport systems. The ORN remains a key part of our plans to ensure successful transport at the games, for those participating, for spectators, and for those going about their normal business. We remain committed to implementing temporary, tailored and proportionate measures on the ORN that meet the games’ needs while minimising the impacts on others. Extensive local engagement by the ODA and Transport for London on the detailed plans for implementing the ORN, taking account of the changes set out in this order, is now under way.

A full report on the ODA’s consultation exercise and maps showing the revised ORN will be available on the ODA’s website at www.london2012.com/orn. The ODA will also be writing to all respondents to the consultation exercise to inform them that the order has been laid.