ORGANISERS of the Latitude Festival are warning of busy traffic around the site when the event gets under way later this week.

The music and arts festival at Henham Park, near Southwold, begins on Thursday and ends on Sunday, with many visitors due to travel home on Monday.

Festival Republic, which runs Latitude, said it had worked with Suffolk County Council’s highways department on traffic management plans to ease congestion, minimise disruption and ensure regular road users are affected as little as possible.

There are special bus, train and coach services operating over the weekend as crowds of 35,000 a day are expected, with shuttle buses running from Halesworth and Diss train stations and a special bus service between Southwold and the site.

But many visitors are expected to arrive by car. Peak traffic flows are expected on the A12 northbound and the A145 southbound during late morning and afternoon of Thursday and morning on Friday as festival-goers arrive. Most traffic will depart the site on Sunday and before noon on the Monday.

Routes to the site will be well signposted. Those travelling from the south on the A12 will be directed on to site from the A12. Those travelling from the Lowestoft direction on the A12 will be directed on to site from the A145 via Middle Barn Lane which connects the A12 and the A145.

Those travelling south on the A145 from the Beccles direction will be directed on to site from the A145. Day ticket holders will be directed straight into site from the B1123.

Temporary speed limits of 30mph and no stopping orders will be in force along the A145 and A12 and the first section of the B1123 in the vicinity of the gates into site from Thursday to Monday and will be enforced by Suffolk police.

Temporary traffic lights will be in operation on the junction of the A145 and the A12, and the junction of Middle Barn Lane and the A12 all day on Monday. A one-way system westbound will be in place from the entrance to Henham Quarry along Middle Barn Lane and Craven Manor Lane to the junction with the A145 from Thursday to Sunday night.

Details of train, bus and coach services can be found at www.latitudefestival.co.uk