Road closure trials announced at St James' Park
Starting on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 August, a short-term closure of Barrack Road will be put in place for football fans
Starting on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 August, a short-term closure of Barrack Road, immediately outside the stadium, will be put in place after the matches in time for fans leaving the stands when the final whistle sounds.
Newcastle City Council, Northumbria Police and Newcastle United, have confirmed that the temporary closures are required in the interest of public safety as large crowds of fans often spill out across both sides of Barrack Road as they make their way out of the ground at the end of the game.
Cllr Juna Sathian, Cabinet Member for Climate and Transport at Newcastle City Council, said: “Our main priority is public safety and these measures are designed to ensure there are safe and separate spaces for the large numbers of fans leaving St. James’ Park and for all other road users as well.
“With traffic diverted away from Barrack Road, vehicles will be able to continue their journeys without experiencing delays due to the crowds and fans will have space to make their way from the stadium quickly and safely on foot.
“The closure will be kept in place for only as long as required and the road will be reopened as soon as the crowds have cleared the area.”
Newcastle United’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Miller, added: “Ensuring the safety of fans is our absolute priority. Enhanced matchday safety measures are a result of close collaboration between the club and city partners, designed to provide a positive experience for everyone attending matches at St. James’ Park. Together, we will continue to monitor the impact and listen to feedback throughout the season.”
Chief Superintendent Mark Hall, Football Lead for Northumbria Police, said: “The safety of fans on a match day will always be the focus – and we work closely with our partners to look for additional ways to enhance this.
“We hope the new trial road closures planned for the city will ensure everyone can leave the stadium swiftly and safely, with minimal disruption for other traffic.
“As ever, we’ll look to monitor the measures in place alongside the club and council.”
The short-term Barrack Road closure will be in place after the friendly match against Espanyol on Friday 8 August, kicking off at 7.30pm, and the Sela Cup game against Atletico Madrid on Saturday 9 August, which starts at 4pm.
The measures will continue for all home games throughout the season and, if required, for some other events taking place at St. James’ Park where large numbers of people are expected to leave all at once.
The short-term road closure will cover Barrack Road between Stanhope Street and St. James’ Boulevard and will be implemented to coincide with the final whistle, or sooner if large numbers of fans leave before the end of the game.
The closure will be in place for up to 45 minutes after the final whistle or until the crowds have cleared and Match Control officers from Northumbria Police have deemed it safe to reopen the road to traffic.
During the closure no vehicles will be permitted on this section of Barrack Road and drivers will be required to follow signed diversions via Westgate Road, Brighton Grove and Stanhope Street.
A number of Stagecoach bus services that normally travel along and stop on Barrack Road will also be diverted and passengers will be required to use alternative bus stops while the short closure is in place.
The X50 soccer bus which runs to the MetroCentre Park and Ride will pick up passengers from the top of St. James’ Boulevard, outside the Citygate building.
The measures are being introduced on a trial basis. They will be monitored and reviewed as the football season progresses.