GAMES organisers have warned commuters not to leave things to chance when planning their travel today as Glasgow gears up for one of its busiest spectator days with the cycle time trial.
Thousands of fans will converge on the city and surrounding towns and villages of North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire to see some of the Commonwealth's fastest riders race against the clock over a 25-mile course.
Dozens of roads will be shut for most of the day as crowds at the free event arrive from early on to find the best vantage spots. The first rider will leave Glasgow Green at 10am and return later.
Riders will pass through back roads in Auchinloch, Chryston, Moodiesburn, Muirhead, Millerston and Stepps.
Roads affected by the cycle time trial will be closed from 3am today and will not begin reopening until late afternoon, clashing with the usual rush-hour traffic.
The security, parking restrictions and road closures sparked fury from local residents last month who said their community would be "in lockdown". Locals in Auchinloch, near Lenzie, were encouraged to take the day off rather than run the gauntlet of restrictions, with organisers initially telling residents they would be unable to leave after 7am or return until late at night.
North Lanarkshire Council, which is responsible for organising the stages of the event outside Glasgow, have agreed to put a temporary traffic light system in place to allow access in and out of Auchinloch but the clampdown remains for the remaining villages. A spokesman for the council said "the route just doesn't allow" for concessions.
Around 140,000 visitors and spectators are expected in Glasgow today for the ninth day of the Games, adding an estimated 280,000 extra journeys to the city's transport network.
Events are on at six venues around Glasgow, including the SECC and Hampden Park, with diving being held for a second day at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh.
Glasgow 2014 organisers said: "Today is one of the busiest days of the Games so don't chance your travel today - plan ahead to avoid delays and disruption.
"Expect public transport to be much busier than usual. If you need to travel into or around Glasgow, but are not going to a live zone or the time trial, avoid stations that are close to them."
The warning comes as the city gears up to its final weekend of the Games, with organisers hoping to iron out the problems which sent the park and ride system into meltdown during the so-called "super weekend".
Around 130,000 spectators are expected for ticketed events at the weekend, with a seats remaining at the boxing and powerlifting on Saturday. There's also a free-to-watch cycling road race through the city and West End.
ScotRail said it had already carried hundreds of thousands of extra people during the Games and expected this unprecedented demand to accelerate over the weekend as people make the most of the fantastic atmosphere in the city.
The train operator is running extra and later services to get people home and has put in place several 'queue buster' trains at both Glasgow stations.
Extra park and ride coaches have been laid on since Monday to meet demand from car users trying to reach venues. Glasgow 2014 said it had made arrangements with its partners to "secure contingency buses for the period of the Games." The Subway will be open 6am-1am over the next two days.
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