Bus delays expected in Wakefield during Tour de Yorkshire

The race could cause some disruption to passengers on Friday.

Both the men’s and the women’s race passes through South Elmsall, Ackworth, Pontefract, Airedale and Castleford on Friday, May 4 and a big turnout is expected.

However, with the men’s race coinciding with the start of the evening rush hour, delays to public transport are likely.

Speaking at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s (WYCA) Wakefield sub-committee meeting on Thursday, Kim Purcell, Arriva Wakefield manager said: “For the Tour de Yorkshire we are expecting some disruption round Pontefract and Knottingley.

“We may find there’s half an hour to an hour’s worth of disruption during the afternoon peak.”

The women’s race will enter South Elmsall at around 10.15am and leave Castleford at around 10.50am. The men’s race will enter South Elmsall at around 4pm and leave Castleford at around 4.35pm.

Rolling road closures will be in operation during the race, which runs across four days .

As well as visiting the Wakefield district, the cyclists will race from Beverley to Doncaster on Thursday, May 3, from Richmond to Scarborough on Saturday, May 5 and from Halifax to Leeds on Sunday, May 6.

David Spereall , Local Democracy Reporting Service