Skip to main content

Music fans told: 'Don't use Highway to Hell'

UK National Highways agency urges heavy metallers not to follow satnav to Download Festival
By Adam Hill June 7, 2022 Read time: 1 min
Donington Park: far out - to get closer, just follow the signs (© Christian Bertrand | Dreamstime.com)

Even heavy metal fans need traffic management help sometimes.

This weekend's Download Festival at Donington Park in the UK (10-12 June) is a magnet for thousands of heavy metal fans hoping to see headliners Kiss and Iron Maiden.

But the country's National Highways agency has warned revellers to follow signposted routes - and not their satnav devices.

"When you get within a few miles follow the road signs and the instructions from the organisers rather than your satnav as they will guide you on the correct route to the correct car park," explained National Highways network resilience planner Jamie Tomlin.

"There are changes to the traffic management plan this year so don’t be tempted to follow a previous year’s route."

The event, which is located next to East Midlands Airport, is expected to attract 100,000 people across the three days.

National Highways says it is dispatching extra traffic officer patrols and has worked with the event organisers to keep the roads moving as smoothly as possible.

Major routes in the area including the M1, A42, A50 and A453 are likely to be busy until next Monday.

Electronic message boards on nearby motorways will advise people of any delays.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Egis offers VR training for French highway patrols
    September 30, 2019
    A new scheme in France aims to give highway police a first-hand view of what to expect in high speed incidents – without putting anyone at risk. Egis has launched the training module for motorway patrollers using a virtual reality (VR) headset and handheld controls. In conjunction with French start-up Immersive Factory it offers training on motorway safety and callout procedures as part of Egis’ contract to operate the A63 motorway between the villages of Salles and St. Geours-de-Maremne. Egis says th
  • Chris Tomlinson: 'My golden rule is have an open mind’
    July 27, 2021
    The executive director of Georgia’s mobility authorities explains tolling’s place in demand management, the benefits of being mode-agnostic and how to learn from other agencies
  • Indonesia targets road death reduction
    April 17, 2012
    The government of Indonesia says it is working to reduce the number of road deaths in the country by 50 per cent by 2020 and by 80 per cent by 2035. To achieve this, the government will be upgrading the road infrastructure as well as introducing a road safety programme that will run over a ten-year and 25-year plans, starting this year. The programme will be overseen by the National Planning Development Board with involvement of the national police as well as the public works, transportation, national educa
  • Mixed results for public-private traffic management partnerships
    January 25, 2012
    David Crawford looks at the somewhat patchy success to date of trying to involve the private sector in operating traffic management centres