UCI Cycling Men’s Elite Road Race: Road closures announced

SUNDAY 6th AUGUST

The route for the UCI Men’s Elite Road Race has been announced. This forms part of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, the “biggest cycling event ever.”

The race will begin in Edinburgh on Sunday 6 August 2023 at 9.30am. We expect the event to attract many visitors from across the world to follow the race as it makes its way from the capital to Glasgow. The city will be busy and some roads will be closed as the event passes through.

Route

Competitors will start off in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat and the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood Park. The race then heads up the Royal Mile and through Edinburgh’s Old Town, passing under Edinburgh Castle.

They will then head down the Mound and towards Stockbridge before moving onto Queensferry. Competitors will then cross the Firth of Forth via the Queensferry Crossing. The race will eventually finish in Glasgow’s George Square, covering a distance of 270km.

Road closures

These roads will be closed from 6:30pm on August 5 to 12 noon on 6 August:

• Queens Drive
• Horse Wynd
• Dukes Walk

These roads will be closed from 11:59pm on August 5 to 1:45pm on 6 August:

• Canongate
• New Street (between East Market Street and Canongate)

These roads will be closed from 11:59pm on August 5 to 11:15am on 6 August:

• High Street (between South Bridge and St Giles Street)
• Lawnmarket (between St Giles Street and Bank Street)

These roads will be closed from 11:59pm on August 5 to 12 noon on 6 August:  

• High Street (between St Mary’s Street and South Bridge)

The following roads will be closed from 8:00am to 9:45am on 6 August:

• Abbeyhill (between Canongate and Abbeyhill Crescent)
• Calton Road (between Abbeyhill and Abbeyhill Crescent)  

The following roads will be closed from 9:00am to 9:45am on 6 August:

• George IV Bridge (between Lawnmarket and Victoria Street)
• Lawnmarket (between Bank Street and Castlehill)
• Bank Street
• North Bank Street
• The Mound
• Hanover Street
• Queen Street Gardens East
• Heriot Row (between Dundas Street and Howe Street)
• Howe Street (between Heriot Row and South-East Circus Place)
• South-East Circus Place
• Circus Place 
• North-West Circus Place

These roads will be closed from 9:10am to 9:45am on 6 August:

• Kerr Street 
• Deanhaugh Street
• Raeburn Place
• Comely Bank Road
• Craigleith Road

These roads will be closed from 9:15am to 9:50am on 6 August:

• Queensferry Road (between Craigleith Road and Hillhouse Road)
• Hillhouse Road

These roads will be closed from 9:20 to 9:55am on 6 August:

• Queensferry Road (between Hillhouse Road and Maybury Road)

These roads will be closed from 9:40am to 10am on 6 August:

• Queensferry Road / A90 South-eastbound (between the dual carriageway section and Whitehouse Road)

These roads will be closed from 9:40am to 10:40am on 6 August:

• Queensferry Road / A90 North-westbound (between Maybury Road and the boundary of City of Edinburgh Council’s responsibility).

Vehicle crossing points on closed roads

On 6 August, traffic will be held at the junctions with the race route for up to 10 minutes while the race passes. Once the final support vehicle passes, traffic will be able to flow as normal. The timings may change slightly to fit with the event as it passes through Edinburgh.

• St Mary Street – Jeffery Street at Canongate/ High Street 9:25am to 9:35am
• North Bridge – South Bridge at High Street 09:25am to 9:35am
• Princess Street at The Mound/ Hanover Street 9:25am to 9:35am
• Queen Street at Hanover Street/ Queen Street Gardens East 9:25am to 9:35am
• East Fettes Avenue – Comley Bank Avenue at Comely Bank Road 9:30am to 9:40am
• Orchard Brae – Crewe Road South at Comely Bank Road 9:30am to 9:40am
• Telford Road – Strachan Road at A90 Hillhouse Road 9:30am to 9:40am
• Quality Street – Craigcrook Road at A90 Queensferry Road 9:30am to 9:40am
• Whitehouse Road – Maybury Road A90 Queensferry Road 9:45am to 9:55am

Please note that these planned restrictions and closures may be subject to change.

You can find more information, on the event website 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. I

f you have any questions, please email events@edinburgh.gov.uk