'GAMES LANES' FOR OLYMPIC ATHLETES' ROAD JOURNEYS 29/07/2010, By By Peter Woodman, Press Association Transport Correspondent

SPECIAL "Games Lanes" will be introduced on key roads to speed athletes and officials to the 2012 London Olympics under new plans.

The lanes will be in addition to the Olympic Route Network (ORN) which will be roadwork free, cover 2.5% of London's roads, will be used by 82,000 people and cost around £25 million.

The lanes will include the areas around Wembley Stadium in west London, Lord's cricket ground where the archery will take place, through central London and out to the main Games site at Stratford and also out to Greenwich in south London.

The lanes will total nearly 60 miles in length, while the ORN, which will include measures such as closing side roads, banning turns and altering traffic light sequences, will comprise more than 100 miles in London and around 170 miles outside London.

The ORN will be used by 18,000 athletes and officials during the Olympics as well as 6,000 during the Paralympics.

Among those also eligible to use the ORN will be judges, referees and umpires, around 28,000 representatives of the media and 25,000 sponsors and their guests.