Grand National Festival 2022: road closures, road works and travel advice for Aintree Racecourse

A number of traffic management measures will be in place as thousands of race goers descend on Sefton and Liverpool this weekend.
Dominic Raynor
By Dominic Raynor
Published 5th Apr 2022, 14:52 BST
Updated 7th Apr 2022, 07:15 BST
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Sefton and Liverpool will welcome thousands of visitors when the Grand National Festival begins at Aintree Racecourse this week.

Sefton Council, along with Merseyside Police and Merseytravel, have put in place a number of measures to help festival goers get to and from Aintree as smoothly as possible throughout the weekend.

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Unfortunately, that means a number of diversions and road closures will be in place throughout the festival’s three days, from Thursday, April 7, to Saturday, April 9.

Runners and riders clear the water jump during the Randox Grand National Handicap Chase in 2021. Image: Photo: Tim Goode - Pool/Getty ImagesRunners and riders clear the water jump during the Randox Grand National Handicap Chase in 2021. Image: Photo: Tim Goode - Pool/Getty Images
Runners and riders clear the water jump during the Randox Grand National Handicap Chase in 2021. Image: Photo: Tim Goode - Pool/Getty Images

Road closures and diversions

Residents who are not attending the festival are advised to avoid the A59 Ormskirk Road from Switch Island through to the Black Bull junction.

Ormskirk Road, as well as Park Lane between Bridle Road and Ormskirk Road, will be closed between 4pm and 9pm on all three festival days.

Heavy traffic is expected on the A59 from 10am - 2pm.

The A59 heading into Switch Island.The A59 heading into Switch Island.
The A59 heading into Switch Island.

During the closure, traffic will be diverted via Switch Island, Dunnings Bridge Road, Netherton Way and Southport Road.

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Liverpool City Council have also confirmed that road works on County Road will be paused for the duration of the world’s most famous horse racing festival.

Since February, the road in L4 has been closed overnight from 7pm to 6am for upgrading but the closures from Spellow Lane to Hale Road will be paused after Wednesday night.

People wishing to attend the Grand National are encouraged to use the Merseyrail network and alight at Aintree station.

After the racing finishes on both Friday and Saturday buses will be operating from Park Lane into Liverpool city centre.

What’s been said

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A spokesman for Sefton Council said: “We are delighted to see the return of a public Aintree Festival after being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are working closely with partners to help keep the borough moving during the festival and to keep disruption to a minimum.”

“The weekend brings thousands of racegoers, tourists and visitors to our beautiful borough and once again all eyes will be on Sefton as the home of incredible international events.

We would ask visitors who are in the region for a number of days to try and explore our wonderful borough even further.”

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