Bath will be taking on Lyon in the final of the European Rugby Challenge Cup on Friday, May 23 at Principality Stadium.
With the kick-off taking place at 8pm - there
will be a full city centre road closure from 4pm until midnight to ensure all
ticket holders can get into and out of the stadium safely.
The M4 motorway is
expected to be very busy due to this rugby match – so please plan ahead.
For up to date traffic
information on the motorway and trunk roads go to the Traffic Wales website, or @TrafficWalesS on Twitter and Facebook.
Gates open at 6pm, those attending the rugby
match are strongly advised to plan their journey and get in early. Please
pay attention to the prohibited items listed at principalitystadium.wales, in
particular the bag policy (no large bags permitted) before travelling into the
city.
Road closures
From 7am, Scott Road and Park Street will be closed because of the need
to prepare Gate 5 and protect queuing fans.
The following roads will be closed as part of the full city centre road
closure which will take place at 4pm until midnight.
- Kingsway from its
junction with North Road to its junction with Duke Street.
- Cowbridge Road East
from its junction with Cathedral Road to its junction with Westgate
Street.
- Tudor Street from its
junction with Clare Road to its junction with Wood Street (access for
residents and traders will be permitted via Fitzhammon Embankment).
- Plantagenet Street
and Beauchamp Street from their junctions with Despenser Place to their
junctions with Tudor Street (access for residents and traders will be
permitted).
- The following roads
will be closed in their entirety: Duke Street, Castle St, High Street, St
Mary Street, Caroline Street, Wood Street, Central Square, Westgate
Street, Quay Street, Guildhall Place, Golate, Park Street, Havelock Street
and Scott Road.
- Station Terrace and
Guildford Street from the junction with Newport Road to the junction with
Churchill Way will be access for buses only during the times of the road
closures. This is to ensure that there is reliable access for buses to the
satellite points in Churchill Way.
·
Additionally, Penarth
Road will be closed 30 minutes before the game finishes and up to hour after
the final whistle on safety grounds for train passengers arriving and departing
from the train station.
Additions:
Civic Centre: Access to part
of the Civic Centre will be controlled throughout the day, with access allowed
only for event parking, limited commuter parking, loading and access to private
car parks.
Roads affected include King Edward VII Avenue, Museum Avenue, City Hall
Road, College Road and Gorsedd Gardens Road.
Transport
for Wales will be
providing additional capacity where possible on routes in/out of Cardiff on
Friday 23 and Saturday 24 March but trains are expected to be very busy, so
please allow plenty of time for your journey.
Post-event
queues for mainline rail services will be on Central Square and queues for
Valleys services will be to the rear of the station.
Pre and
post-event revenue checks will be taking place at Cardiff Central so please
ensure you have purchased your rail ticket before entering a queuing
system.
For more
information, please visit: Principality Stadium, Cardiff | Transport for
Wales
Great Western Railway will run additional services to help customers get home
from the European Challenge Cup Final between Bath and Lyon.
Extra trains will
operate from Cardiff Central to Bath, Chippenham, Swindon and Westbury after
the game; with plenty of parking available at station car parks.
Trains are, however,
expected to be very busy immediately after the match and a queueing system will
be in place outside the station to help people board trains safely.
Those travelling from
further afield should check connecting services at www.gwr.com/check
Park & Ride facilities
Due to the number of people travelling by coach to this event, there
will be no park & ride available.
Civic Centre Event Day Parking (Cars and
Coaches)
Getting there: Exit Junction 32 of the M4, head south on the A470
towards the city centre and follow signage to the civic centre.
Cost: £20 payable on the day for cars and £30 for coaches – card
payments are also now available.
Parking time: The car park will open at 8am and closes at 12
Midnight.
Event Day Parking at Sophia Gardens
Sophia Gardens (cars)
(Approximately, 0.5 mile walk to the Principality Stadium, Gate 2).
Sophia Gardens Event Day Parking
Getting there: Exit junction 32 off the M4
Cost: £20 for cars and £30 for coaches – card payments are now
available.
Parking time: Car park opens at 8.00am and closes at 12 midnight.
Please note: Sophia Gardens car park will be staffed until
7.00pm all vehicles are left on site at the owner's risk. Cardiff Council will
not be held responsible for any theft or damage to motor vehicles or personal
possessions. Any vehicles left in the car park after closing time will be
fined.
Bus
Local buses:
Bus services will be diverted while the city centre road closures are in
place
Please visit the relevant bus operator's website for more information
about your specific bus routes.
For Stagecoach services, please visit: Welcome to Stagecoach
(stagecoachbus.com)
For Cardiff Bus services, please visit: https://www.cardiffbus.com/principality-stadium
For NAT services, please visit:
https://www.natgroup.co.uk/
National Express:
National Express coaches will use Sophia Gardens as usual.
Can you cycle or walk?
The cycleways and the pop-up cycleways within the road closure area will
remain open for cyclists to use during the event, but due to the number of
people expected to attend the rugby match, we ask all cyclists to take due care
and attention.
The road closures apply to all motor vehicles of any kind, but not to
bicycles with pedals.
Those who live locally in Cardiff may want to travel by bicycle or walk. Research shows
us that 52% of car trips made in the Welsh capital are less than 5km. This is a
distance that can be comfortably cycled in 20 minutes.
We also know that 28% of Cardiff residents who currently do not cycle
would like to do so.
When the roads are congested this makes cycling an even more attractive
option as travel by bicycle would be quicker than a car during rush hours or
during big events.
Shopping Parking
City centre car parks are also available: North Road Car Parks, St
David's Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Capitol Shopping Centre, and NCP (Adam
Street, Dumfries Place and Greyfriars Road).
Disabled parking
Disabled drivers are advised to use Sophia Gardens. Disabled parking is
also available at various private car parks.
Please check individual websites for availability.
Taxis
St Mary Street taxi rank (outside the former House of Fraser building)
will close at 4pm and will re-open at midnight.