MUSIC lovers excited for this weekend’s Creamfields festival have been warned to avoid making a silly mistake on the motorway which could result in a nasty fine.
The electronic dance music festival, a four-day event held annually on the August Bank Holiday weekend in Daresbury, Cheshire, is located near Junction 11 of the M56 motorway.
Drivers heading to Creamfields warned of motorway dangers and fines[/caption]
National Highways has urged festivalgoers to avoid illegal motorway behaviour this weekend[/caption]
Creamfields attendees advised to follow event signs to car parks and avoid sat nav errors[/caption]
Expect delays near M56 Junctions 10 to 12 during Creamfields weekend[/caption]
Reading and Leeds Festival is also set to bring busy roads over Bank Holiday[/caption]
And for those travelling by car, National Highways has reminded drivers of the potential fines for dangerous behaviour, which can sometimes occur due to eagerness to arrive.
Their warning stems from pedestrians walking on the motorway or vehicles stopping to drop off or pick up passengers – which is illegal and highly dangerous.
Offenders who are caught doing this may be fined, with those arriving by car instructed to use designated collection points which are clearly marked off the motorway.
To this end, drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys to avoid congestion, while also following dedicated event signs – rather than relying on sat nav systems which may lead them onto unsuitable roads.
For the event, extra police and National Highways traffic officers will be stationed near junction 11 of the M56 to manage traffic and ensure safety.
Car parks for the festival site will open at midday on Thursday and close at 2 pm on Monday.
Traffic from the north, south and east are urged to use junction 11 of the M56, while traffic from the west should use junction 12.
Congestion hotspots include junctions 10, 11 and 12 of the M56 and the M56/M6 interchange at Lymm are expected to be particularly busy.
Electronic motorway signs will be used to provide real-time updates on congestion and incidents.
Creamfields, which runs from Thursday at 2 pm to Sunday at 11 pm, will have an expected 70,000 attendees.
TAKE THE LEED
Reading and Leeds Festival is also taking place over the Bank Holiday weekend, running from Thursday to Sunday.
At the Leeds iteration, held at Bramham Park, around 90,000 attendees are expected and those driving to the event have been warned that roadworks on certain routes, including the M1, A1(M) and A64, could cause delays.
Drivers are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys, while on-site parking is included for ticketholders – with routes to car parks clearly signposted.
Helpfully, a dedicated festival bus will run from Leeds railway station to the site from Wednesday to Monday, with tickets available online.
As with Creamfields, National Highways will have extra traffic officers on duty and electronic signs will provide updates on incidents and congestion.