As the countdown begins to one of the biggest multisport festivals in Europe, Amroth is preparing to combat another weekend of traffic mayhem.
The Long Course Weekend, which this year takes place on June 30, July 1 and July 2, attracts over 12,000 athletes and up to 36,000 supporters from a staggering 44 nations.
On the second day of the festival (Saturday, July 1), a 112-mile bike sportive will be staged which results in numerous road closures along the route. And perhaps the worst affected is Amroth where the main road from Summerhill to Wiseman’s Bridge becomes totally inaccessible to vehicles.
This understandably causes considerable inconvenience to local residents who either opt out of travelling for the duration of the event or who switch their journeys to lengthier journeys along country lanes.
Deliveries to local shops, cafes and restaurants are are also temporarily suspended by delivery drivers while there is coincern that emergency services could be severely delayed or restricted when attending to callouts in the Amroth area.
Now, to help locals combat the road closure issue, Amroth Community Council is staging a public meeting where festival organisers and residents are invited to discuss how this year’s impact can be minimised.
The meeting takes place on March 2 in Amroth Parish Hall, Summerhill at 7pm.
The event has been organised by county councillor Alec Cormack and will be hosted by the community council.
“This is an opportunity for the event organisers to hear and to respond to feedback locally,” commented a spokesperson for Amroth Community Council.
“But it will also provide organisers with the opportunity to explain the benefits to the Pembrokeshire community as well as local charities and schools from their initiatives around the county. We hope there will be a good turnout from local businesses and residents.”
In addition to the bike race on Saturday, the Long Course Weekend includes a 2.4-mile swim in Tenby’s North Beach on the Friday and culminates with a marathon on Sunday.
