WALTHAM ABBEY: Main road to be used as a fast-track to Olympic venue (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAM ABBEY: Main road to be used as a fast-track to Olympic venue

1:41pm Friday 30th July 2010 in

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CONCERNS have been raised over roads around Waltham Abbey being used as the route to canoeing events during the Olympic games.

Part of the A121 in the town, as well as the M25, will be designated as part of the Olympic Route Network (ORN), which will be used by athletes and games officials as a speedy route to the Lee Valley White Water Centre, which is being built at Lee Valley Park’s Showground site, off Highbridge Street, on the edge of Waltham Abbey.

The roads included in the network will have restrictions in place, such as bans on turning, side road closures, changes to traffic light sequences and pedestrian crossings and the temporary suspension of some bus stops, while the canoeing and kayaking events are taking place.

Valerie Osborne, 76, of Mayer Road, which is part of a housing estate just off the A121, said: “We will be heavily put-out by it, because we've got no other way out if the road gets congested. It's the only way out of the development.”

Her husband, Robert Osborne, 66, added: “It gets congested along to Waltham Abbey anyway, especially at weekends.”

Michael Hill, 66, also of Mayer Road, who is a self-employed driving instructor, said: “The road is awful anyway, so if they put a restriction on it, it could get even worse. It depends what they do.”

He added that the extra traffic that will hit the M25 as a result of the route would have a knock-on effect on most roads in the area.

Curtis Goring, 47, of nearby Deer Park Way, said: “It's going to be a problem unless they look after us.

“You would have thought they would put a leaflet out, telling us what's going to happen.

“There are a lot of pets around here and you see quite a few killed on the roads, so more traffic means more of that.

“It also means more people might discover the area, which could be a good or a bad thing.”

The ORN will stretch across London and other areas where events are taking place and is expected to be used in total by 18,000 athletes and 6,000 of their family members, 5,000 officials, including judges and referees, 28,000 members of the media and 25,000 sponsors.

London mayor Boris Johnson said: “The capital will be in the spotlight and temporary measures such as the Olympic Route Network will play a crucial role.

“But their contribution must also be weighed against a phenomenal investment in new transport infrastructure.”