Travel warning issued ahead of huge sporting weekend in and around Manchester city centre

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Travel advice issued by TfgM ahead of Super League Grand Final and MCR Half Marathon in Manchester this weekend

With two huge sporting events taking place in and around the city centre this weekend, Transport for Greater Manchester has issued a travel warning to those travelling in and out of the area, along with some helpful advice to the thousands of spectators set to arrive from Saturday onwards.

In case you haven’t heard, not only will this weekend see Manchester host the 2024 Betfred Super League Grand Final over at Old Trafford but Sunday will also see 24,000 runners take on the 2024 Manchester Half Marathon, not to mention even more supporters set to line the streets.

With local side Wigan Warriors contesting the final for the 13th time against Hull KR, a crowd of more than 65,000 rugby fans is expected to fill up Old Trafford, with many of those travelling likely to arrive in the city a day prior.

All that being said, it’s going to be a massive sporting weekend in Manchester, so TfGM and the Bee Network are urging both those travelling into the region and locals to plan their journeys accordingly to avoid added congestion and delays.

Super League Grand Final travel info – Saturday

As always – not just with big sporting events but the usual weekend bustle – local authorities are urging people to take public transport wherever possible.

Those travelling to the Grand Final at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ are being encouraged to use the Metrolink network, which will be running trams every six minutes to Old Trafford on the Altrincham line.

There will also be services to the Wharfside stop right near the stadium every 12 minutes on the Trafford Park line and Exchange Quay along the Eccles Line.

For those who are driving into the city, be aware that there will be one lane out-of-use on the A56 heading northbound near Barton Road, with delays of around 10-15 minutes expected before the game which is set to kick off 6pm.

Less warning, more just good travel advice; you can find more info on the official Manchester Bee Network website HERE as well as an interactive map down below.

Travel advice for the 2024 Manchester Half – Sunday, 14 October

As for the Sunday and the return of the Manchester Half Marathon, with more than double the number of entrants this year, you can almost certainly expect even more people to turn up in support of those taking part, meaning the city and surrounding areas will be taken over by the event.

The MCR Half 2024 officially gets underway from 8:55am on Sunday but road closures will be in effect from the day prior, with traffic already being impacted by the rugby, so there’s lots to take into account if you’re travelling into any of the affected boroughs (mainly Manchester and Trafford).

For starters, the A56 (North and Southbound) as well as the M60 Junction 7 will be closed until the late afternoon. You can find more travel warning details and timings around Manchester road closures HERE.

As for the trams, runners should aim to use Old Trafford, Trafford Bar and Imperial War Museum as their closest stops when arriving ahead of the starting gun; access to other nearby stops like Pomona, Cornbrook, Exchange Quay and Wharfside will be challenging due to the half marathon course.

If you’re a spectator on the other hand, official cheering zones are located right near the Deansgate-Castelfield Interchange as well as Wharfside near the White City starting line in Trafford. You can find another interactive map to help plan your journey down below.

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Director of Customer and Growth at TfGM, Frank Wilkinson, said of the upcoming busy weekend of sport: “It’s shaping up to be a really exciting weekend with two wonderful events that thousands of people will be heading out to enjoy – showcasing what Greater Manchester is all about.

“We want everyone to have a great time and avoid hold-ups and delays wherever possible, which is why I’d encourage anyone travelling in the half marathon area, in particular, to plan ahead and allow themselves plenty of time for their journey.

“Tram will definitely be the best way to get around and if you’re coming to cheer someone on why not avoid the busy start and finish points and cheer on your runner from one of the lovely places along the route, such as Sale or Chorlton.” She also added that those who do end up driving should make use of the park-and-ride sites – there are 24 of them across Greater Manchester and you can the full list HERE.

We wish all those taking part in the Manchester Half Marathon the best of luck and hope everyone turning up to cheer them gives it their all too; as for the Super League Grand Final, it’s sure to be an amazing game and we’re also buzzing to hear that the future will be remaining here for the foreseeable.

Rugby Super League Grand Final to stay at Old Trafford
Travel warning aside, Manchester will remain the home for one of the biggest fixtures in rugby.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Mtaylor848/Spamuel 99 (via Wikimedia Commons)