Motorists and football fans are being urged to plan ahead as road closures and travel restrictions come into force across Cardiff city centre for the FA Community Shield between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Principality Stadium on Sunday 16 August.
The match kicks off at 3pm, with city centre road closures in place from 10am until 8pm. Scott Road and Park Street will close earlier from 7am to allow preparations at Gate 5 and to manage supporter queues.
The M4 is expected to be particularly busy, with supporters encouraged to pre-book official park and ride facilities and allow extra time for their journeys.
Road closures
The following roads will form part of the city centre road closure:
- Kingsway, between North Road and Duke Street
- Cowbridge Road East, between Cathedral Road and Westgate Street
- Tudor Street, between Clare Road and Wood Street. Resident and trader access will be maintained via Fitzhammon Embankment
- Plantagenet Street and Beauchamp Street, between Despenser Place and Tudor Street. Resident and trader access will be maintained
The following roads will be closed in full:
- Duke Street
- Castle Street
- High Street
- St Mary Street
- Caroline Street
- Wood Street
- Central Square
- Westgate Street
- Quay Street
- Guildhall Place
- Golate
- Park Street
- Havelock Street
- Scott Road
Station Terrace and Guildford Street, between Newport Road and Churchill Way, will be restricted to buses during the road closures to maintain access to bus satellite points.
Penarth Road will also close from 30 minutes before the final whistle until up to one hour after the match to protect rail passengers travelling to and from Cardiff Central station.
Access to parts of the Civic Centre will be controlled throughout the day, with entry limited to event parking, commuter parking, loading and private car parks. Roads affected include King Edward VII Avenue, Museum Avenue, City Hall Road, College Road and Gorsedd Gardens Road.
Station Terrace will also close between 4.30pm and 6.30pm to allow Cardiff Queen Street station to operate safely.
Saunders Road taxi rank will be closed from 9.45am until 11.59pm, while the St Mary Street taxi rank will close at 10am before reopening at 8pm.
Rail travel
Transport for Wales (TfW) has added extra capacity where possible and scheduled later services after the match.
A queuing system will operate after the game, with passengers travelling to the Valleys or the Vale of Glamorgan directed to Cardiff Queen Street station. Passengers travelling on all other routes, including Ebbw Vale and Maesteg services, will continue to use Cardiff Central station.
Queues will begin from 4.45pm at both stations, with an accessibility queue available at Cardiff Central.
Passengers are advised to buy tickets before travelling. Those using pay as you go should tap in at their departure station and tap out using the same payment method when they arrive. TfW volunteers will be available to assist passengers.
Cardiff Bus Interchange will close while the city centre road closures are in place before reopening at 8pm.
Both surface car parks at Cardiff Central station will be closed, although the multi-storey car park will remain open.
Park and ride
Official park and ride facilities will be available for supporters of both clubs.
Manchester City supporters should use Pentwyn Park and Ride, with parking available at the Civic Centre for cars, coaches and minibuses.
Arsenal supporters should use Cardiff City Stadium at Leckwith, with coach and minibus parking available at Lloyd George Avenue.
Supporters are encouraged to pre-book parking to guarantee a space. On the day, park and ride costs £20, while coach and minibus parking costs £30.
Buses, cycling and walking
Local bus services will be diverted during the road closures, while National Express coaches will continue to operate from Sophia Gardens.
Cyclists will still be able to use cycle routes within the road closure area, although extra care is advised because of the large number of pedestrians expected in the city centre.
Residents who live locally are encouraged to consider walking or cycling where possible to avoid congestion.
Supporters attending the match are also reminded to check the Principality Stadium bag policy before travelling, as large bags will not be permitted into the stadium.
