Elected Member Briefing - Gas repair works impact on Perth Racecourse

About this Briefing Note

Report by: Fraser Crofts, Strategic Lead - Environment and Infrastructure

EMBN Number: 036-24

Date: 23rd April 2024

Subject: Gas repair works impact on Perth Racecourse

Responsible Officer: Lisa Potter, Communications Manager

Details

Purpose

To update Strathmore Ward members on the impact of temporary road restrictions due to emergency gas repair work on the road to Perth Racecourse during Perth Festival race days (24-26 April 2024). 

Briefing Information

SGN have temporary traffic signals in place at two locations on the roads near Perth Racecourse - on Isla Road near Quarrymill and at the Main Street/Strathmore Street junction. Both of these sites are for emergency work to resolve gas escapes, and are having an unavoidable knock on impact to traffic in this area. 

Our roads and network team have been in regular contact with SGN to seek updates. While the SGN team are working hard to complete the work safely, and to reinstate the road so it can fully re-open as soon as possible, this work will not be completed before the Perth Festival begins at Perth Racecourse tomorrow, and is likely to continue throughout Thursday and possibly into Friday. 

The traffic and network team will do what they can to manually control/amend the permanent traffic signals on the route to manage traffic as best they can. However, it will not be possible to fully mitigate the volume of traffic, particularly at peak travel times, and road users will experience significant delays. 

We have sent information to Scone Palace Estates and Perth Racecourse to advise them of this and will be posting on our social media accounts to let road users know and encourage them to avoid the area at peak times where possible, and where travel is necessary, to consider public transport, car sharing or use of the Raceday Shuttle Bus if travelling to the races, to try and reduce the volume of traffic on the road.