Travel advice: roads to avoid and tram update with Manchester 10K and Man City at home on same day

Anyone travelling into Manchester on Sunday is being urged to plan ahead for what will be an extremely busy day in the city centre.

The Great Manchester Run is taking place with thousands of runners pounding the streets for the half marathon and 10k events and Manchester City play Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has now released advice on how to get around the city and avoid the road closures, congestion and crowds.

What travel advice is being given for the Great Manchester Run?

Around 20,000 people are expected to take part in the two Great Manchester Run events on Sunday (22 May).

TfGM is recommending people attending the event use the Metrolink tram service, with stops close to the start and finish areas and other points along the race route.

The nearest stop to the start line on Portland Street is St Peter’s Square and the one closest to the finish line on Deansgate is Deansgate-Castlefield.

All runners will be asked to follow a walking route through the China Town area to access Portland Street via Charlotte Street or Princess Street.

There will be a large number of road closures throughout the city from early on Sunday morning to allow the runners to complete the half marathon and 10k courses.

TfGM says people coming from slightly further afield could use the car to approach Manchester and then use one of its park and ride sites to take a tram into the city centre.

With so many people likely to want to use the trams, TfGM is also urging people use contactless payments to speed up the ticket-buying and paying processes.

What travel advice is being given for the Manchester City vs Aston Villa football match?

Around 55,000 fans will be making their way to the Etihad Stadium for Manchester City’s final Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa, which kicks off at 4pm on Sunday.

The road closures from the Great Manchester Run will begin to be lifted from around 1pm but TfGM says people going to the stadium could still face congestion and delays.

Anyone driving to the Etihad is being recommended to avoid the Mancunian Way, which may be very busy due to the road closures. Instead they should travel via the M60 to junction 23 or 24 and approach the ground from the east.

Alternatively signposted walking routes are in place between Manchester Piccadilly station and the Etihad. This takes around 25 minutes and is being recommended as a way of getting around any queues.

What has TfGM said?

TfGM’s head of customer experience, Sean Dyball, said: “For a quicker and more enjoyable journey, please consider leaving the car at home and taking the tram, bus or train.

“Or consider using the car for a part of your journey and then switching to public transport at one of TfGM’s park and ride sites - where you can park for free and complete your journey on the tram into the city centre.

“If you’re travelling by tram, people are encouraged to use contactless payments for a fast and efficient way to pay. Just remember to touch-in and touch-out with the same device on the smart readers at the start and end of each journey, and Metrolink will work out the best fare for you.

“We are constantly updating the customer information available on our website and across our social media channels to help people make informed journey choices; to save them time and avoid disruption to their journey.”

Is there anywhere else I can find out information about travelling?

TfGM’s full travel advice for both the Great Manchester Run and the Premier League football match can be found on its website here.

Updates will be posted on the TfGM website and on its Twitter account, which can be accessed here.