Local Community

Details for the 2023 event

The above map shows the provisional road closure and estimated reopening times for 2023. 

The Police make the final decision when to reopen any section of the road, and in the case of a serious incident, roads may remain closed for an extended period.

To reduce the period of road closures throughout the route, a variety of measures are in place – see more detail below. Roads will be opened, in most cases, immediately after the last rider in the event.

We have direct links with community groups/Facebook pages to update you about road closures etc. on the day. If you have a group/page to add to our list, please email community@tourotheborders.com

DOWNLOAD 2023 detailed route information here and see below for:

 In Peebles, and across the entire route, we are working with Scottish Borders Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council and Traffic Management to minimise the inconvenience from closed roads.

PEEBLES TOWN CENTRE ROAD CLOSURES DESCRIPTION | SUNDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER 2023

  • PEEBLES HIGH STREET

There will be no closures in place on Peebles High Street for this year’s event.

  • TWEED BRIDGE

Access will be maintained over Tweed Bridge via a traffic light system throughout the day.

6:10am – 8:00am approximately – access maintained from the south side of River Tweed via Caledonia Road for streets west of Springhill Road only. No access from Springhill Road until 9:30am

Please note these times are approximate and roads will be opened earlier where possible.

  • SPRINGHILL ROAD

Closure from 6:10am – 8:00am approximately

  • SPRINGWOOD ROAD

Closure from 6:10am – 8:00am approximately

  • BONNINGTON ROAD

(to 30 limit signs)
Closure from 6:10am – 8:00am approximately

(after 30 limit signs)
Road re-opens after last rider – see map for approximate times.

  • KINGSMEADOWS ROAD

Residents between Springhill Road and Glensax Road

Closure from 6:10am – 8:00am – access available via B7062 (towards Cardrona)

Closed from 9.45am – 3:05pm – Access maintained for houses between Glensax Road and Kittlegairy View via a manned contraflow system, this will also allow access to Cavalry Park. Please allow additional time to get to your destination. No access beyond Kittlegairy View to Cardrona during this period.

Whilst travel times will be affected, access will be maintained across the Tweed Bridge and Cardrona Bridge throughout the day. There will be no closures north of Peebles High Street.

We understand the impact of closed roads and appreciate the patience and understanding of all those affected.

Contact us by phone at Tour O The Borders HQ if you would like to speak to someone about the route and how it may affect you – 01721 588050 (Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm). If you have a question about a specific issue, please email community@tourotheborders.com and we’ll do our best to get you an answer as fast as we can.

Consultation & Engagement Process

Tour O The Borders has been working closely with Scottish Borders Council and the emergency services to ensure 2023’s event is a success, and that we minimise disruption for local residents and businesses as much as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience that the event may cause the local population and will work with all local communities to help spread the benefits of the event.

Our main aim for the event is to keep pedestrians, residents and cyclists safe. The emergency services will be centrally involved with the event on the day, and the event can only continue with their ongoing support.

Everyone is aware that some inconvenience is inevitable, but new measures are being introduced to mitigate this:

SIGNAGE

It has been noted that the wording of some advance and on-the-day signage can have a negative and misleading outcome, giving the impression that roads are closed for much longer than they actually are. Drawings from contraflow will be posted on this page in due course.

  • A review of all signage wording is being undertaken in conjunction with Contraflow (traffic management company) to reduce confusion and negative impact
  • We propose that no red traffic/road closure signs are used at all if possible, or only a minimum number on the day of the event.
  • We’ve asked for removal of all diversions if possible as these can be misleading
  • Removal of a large number of confusing and potentially negative signs around Moffat and Selkirk
  • Complete review of advance signage to remove negative signs and include specific access info for specific businesses

HYBRID ‘ROLLING ROAD CLOSURE’

Additional delays can be caused by the requirement to clear entire route sections before roads re-open. It can seem like a long time after the last cyclist passes before the road re-opens again.

The roads will now be opened immediately after the last cyclist – an Official Vehicle will follow the last rider and authorise road reopening on a rolling basis. There is a proposed exception ofor parts of the A701 for safety reasons due to the speed of vehicle traffic.

MINIMUM SPEED REQUIREMENTS

Slow riders, accident-related delays or those with mechanical issues can sometimes delay the ‘back of event’ entourage and therefore delay roads re-opening.

We now propose to more strictly apply event minimum average speed (16kmph). Cyclists who fall behind will either be picked up by the sweeper minibus or must now continue on open roads behind the back of the event entourage.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Tour O The Borders?

Tour O The Borders is a mass participation cycle event – it is not a race but a challenge event, with up to 2,500 riders across a wide range of abilities taking part. Many riders also take part to raise money for charity.

The Scottish Borders is an extremely popular cycling destination, and the event helps to attract cyclists to the are throughout the year. The event generates over £500,000 for the local area every year.

Why will roads be closed?

The event will be held on closed roads, which will allow cyclists to enjoy their ride in safety. Rigorous event planning is conducted through Scottish Borders Council’s Safety Advisory Group, which includes Police and all the emergency services.

We do appreciate that this event can cause inconvenience to local communities and for this we apologise. In order to minimise any disruption caused, the event is on a Sunday and starts very early in the morning. We have consulted with local communities and members of the public who are affected by the road closures. We have worked hard with traffic management experts and council staff to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum whilst ensuring the safety of everyone involved – event participants, local residents, event staff, and traffic management personnel.

Why will some of the roads be closed for so long?

Due to the broad appeal of the event – from elite riders to charity challenge first-timers – there will be a wide range of abilities of those taking part. This means that the fastest of the riders will complete the course in around three and a half hours with the longest taking up to eight hours. In addition, staff need to put out barriers, signs and cones in safety, so there is usually some time planned within the road closure for this to happen in safety. The longest closure is just over five hours and the average length of closure is three hours.

How does the road closure work?

A team will go round the route in advance of the riders, closing roads and driveways to ensure no vehicles come on to the road, which will be legally closed by a TTRO (Temporary Traffic Restriction Order). Any vehicle contravening the order will be causing the most serious risk to the event participants, and breaking the law.

The road is re-opened behind the last event rider. The event stipulates that riders who do not keep up a minimum speed of 16 kmph will either drop out of the event, or they can continue on the re-opened roads at their own pace.

In Moffat there's a neutralised zone, what does that mean?

The new long route will be passing through Moffat, but there will be no road closures in place. The neutralised zone means that timing stops as riders enter, and starts again as riders leave. A great option to stop in one of the fantastic cafes for a quick coffee.

What are the estimated rider times?

(Provisionally) the first rider will depart Tweed Green at 6.45am, with the final riders leaving at 7.30am.  Very fast riders are expected to complete the course in around 3 ½ hours, with the slower riders completing the course in around 7 ½ to 8 hours.

Myself or my family/neighbours receive at home care from a care provider, will this be affected on the day?

We work alongside care providers to make sure no-one is left without essential care on the day of the event. If you know of a resident who requires carer access or if you yourself need access for a carer please contact us at 01721 588050 or community@tourotheborders.com.

What if I need urgent medical care?

If you need URGENT medical care when your local practice is closed, you should telephone NHS 24 on 111. You will speak to a Call Handler who will take some details from you and pass your call on to a Nurse Advisor. The Nurse Advisor will make an assessment and recommend a course of action. If required your call will be passed from NHS24 to BECS for either a further assessment, advice or treatment from a local clinician. This information will then be directed to the event Multi Agency Control Centre, which includes event organisers and all emergency services. They will then assess the situation and decide on the best course of action.

What arrangements have been made for emergency service access in to the closed roads?

Emergency access to all properties and residents on route is maintained at all times. In the event of an emergency, dial 999 as usual. Emergency services will be co-ordinated through our Multi Agencies Control Centre. There may be a unit closer to you than usual so response time may be reduced.  

If I have a non-emergency incident that requires a visit to hospital but would not warrant an ambulance, what should I do?

Please refer to the map of road closure times. If the opening time of the road is too late and you can’t wait, we ask you to contact the emergency services on 101 and inform them of the circumstances. This information will then be directed to the event Joint Agency Control Centre, which includes event organisers and all emergency services. They will then assess the situation and decide on the best course of action. Ambulances will be on the route in places that will maximise accessibility to residents on the course. This will ensure that both residents and riders will be kept safe during the road closures.

What access will there be for people living and working on the roads that are closed?

It is a requirement that the event route be completely vehicle-free during the event for the safety of participants. Access restrictions will depend on the location and time that the event passes. We are working with the Scottish Borders Council to make sure disruption is minimised along the route and that people living and working on the route are notified well in advance of the event.

Access by car will only be available either before the start of the road closure or after the end of the road closure, no vehicle movements will be permitted during the road closure. 

What access will there be for visitors or deliveries to homes and businesses during the closure period?

Any disruption is regrettable but hopefully with prior planning residences and businesses can reduce any inconvenience. We would ask you to not schedule deliveries for the event date (as it is a Sunday, Royal Mail post will not be affected) and to buy extra of any essentials that are necessary.

Can I walk on the road?

Yes. The roads are closed to vehicles but you can still travel on foot if you need to.  Please keep to the side of the road and think about safety for everyone – remember bikes will approach silently, and at speed.

I run a business that needs daily deliveries. Will local businesses receive any priority for deliveries to get through road closures?

No vehicles will be let through during the road closures (except emergency services). We ask that you discuss this with your suppliers prior to the event and work to reschedule deliveries.

What allowances will there be for moving livestock within the closed roads?

For the safety of riders we ask that there be no livestock movement during the time the road is closed. This would offer significant risk to riders and livestock alike. We ask that you plan ahead and bear in mind the closing times of the road.

I’ve arranged to meet friends that day – now I won’t be able to get there in time – what can I do?

The road closures are for a set period of time on one day of the year only.  We respectfully ask people to make alternative arrangements for this relatively short period of time – can you shop at another time, re-arrange an appointment or swap your schedules around? We regret any inconvenience, but this event will bring great economic benefit to the area and can be a very positive addition to the Borders’ event calendar and reputation.

I always drive to buy my paper at 10am each Sunday. Can’t I do this on Sept 3rd? Are there any exemption passes if I need to get to work that day?

If the road is closed, you will not be able to use a vehicle on it during the closure times. There are two reasons why it is necessary to close roads for the Tour O The Borders cycle event. Firstly, around 2000 cyclists will take part in the event so road closures are required for the safety of these participants. Second, cones, signs and barriers need to be set out and taken back in and the staff doing this need to be able to work safely.

For these safety reasons, there are no exemption passes available. We realise that this will cause inconvenience for residents and we will work to ensure that any closures are kept to a minimum and would ask that residents work with us and pre-plan their day where at all possible. Emergencies will always have priority though.

What steps are being taken to protect the local environment?

During the rider briefing, riders will be reminded of the Scottish Access Code and regulations regarding littering. We will also provide specific litter stations on the route and a sweeper marshal after the event removing signage and any litter. We work hard to leave the course as beautiful as we found it.

Who is behind the event?

Hillside Outside Ltd is the event organising company, which is the event organising company responsible for the Peebles Hogmanay Torchlight Procession and the TweedLove Bike Festival.

The road closures are being handled by the country’s most experienced traffic management consultants and the Council and all emergency services are directly involved in the planning.

Thank you for taking time to read this. We very much regret any inconvenience caused to local people. We the organisers live locally too, and believe this event plays an important part in the growth of cycling and bike tourism in the Borders.

As an example of a similar style of event, the Etape Caledonia, based in Pitlochry, experienced some opposition in early years, but is now so popular and important to the local economy, that there are now calls for it to be held twice a year, despite a very long course and major road closures.