The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Travel plans revealed to keep traffic flowing during big event
SOLHEIM CUP: McDiarmid set to be park-and-ride venue for golf enthusiasts
Perth’s McDiarmid Park will be used as a temporary park-and-ride as part of an extensive travel plan to keep traffic flowing during the Solheim Cup.
Transport Scotland has released details of a strategy to avoid congestion when up to 100,000 golf fans descend on Gleneagles next month.
The event from September 13-15 is the biggest competition in women’s golf and is expected to attract a global audience of more than 600 million.
The new travel plan, which will see part of the A823 closed, is based on a model used for the 2014 Ryder Cup.
ScotRail will increase services to and from the area, while priority pre-booked parking will be set up at Gleneagles for more than 4,000 vehicles.
As well as St Johnstone’s stadium, a second park-and-ride scheme will be set up at Castleview, Stirling.
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Transport and travel planning has been a key aspect of their successful delivery, and the Solheim Cup will be no exception.”
Perth and Kinross Council leader Murray Lyle thanked the community around Gleneagles for its patience, adding: “An event of this kind takes an enormous amount of planning and co-ordination especially with regard to transport planning and I would like to thank everyone who is contributing to bringing the Solheim Cup to fruition.”
The A823 will be shut from Station Road to Orchil Road, with diversions in place. No other road closures are planned, although traffic on the A9 will be slowed adjacent to the course to allow for an increased volume of cars moving on and off the trunk road.
Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Suzie Mertes said: “Planning has been taking place over many months to ensure that a safe and successful event is once again delivered.”