ORGANISERS of Britain’s biggest light festival have unveiled traffic measures geared at making it easier for tens of thousands of people expected to descend on Durham City.

Lumiere 2015 runs for four nights from November 12 to 15, with crowds promised another spectacular show, which includes 28 art works.

Durham County Council, which has commissioned the Artichoke production, are laying on extra and extended park-and-ride facilities at £2 a person and additional bus services.

Council strategic traffic manager Dave Wafer said: “This year we have more than 6,000 park-and-ride spaces available.

“These include two additional temporary sites at Merryoaks on the A167 and at New College to the north of County Hall. Merryoaks alone can take 2,500 cars.

“Throughout the event we will provide a live traffic and travel feed using #lumieredurham on Facebook and Twitter.

“This will include information on which park-and-ride sites have spaces, specific highways or traffic issues, major road closure reminders as well as answering as many questions as we can from the public.”

There will also be a limited park-and-stride facility at County Hall and DLI Museum. There will also be some significant road closures and restrictions.

On Milburngate Bridge one lane will be closed eastbound for the duration of the festival - to keep spectators as safe.

Barriers will be put in place to separate pedestrians and motorists using the bridge. This will involve closing the eastbound carriageway overnight on Wednesday, November 11, from 8pm.

The bridge will also close in an eastbound direction overnight on Sunday, November 15 so the barriers can be removed.

This year a section of the A690 – between Milburngate roundabout and North Road roundabout (next to the viaduct) will be closed from 4pm each day of the festival. Alternative routes will be sign posted.

More information can be found at www.durham.gov.uk/lumiere

Meanwhile, members of the public have been urged to visit Durham Cathedral’s Cloister where artist Mick Stephenson’s is recreating the famous Rose Window in thousands of decorated plastic bottles. The installation is raising money for My Shelter Foundation and Durham Cathedral.

Each £2 donated will add a bottle to the structure and for a donation of £5 or more, they can add a message in a bottle.

Two per cent of the £12,000 target has been raised so far.

Donate online at campaign.justgiving.com/charity/artichoketrust/litreoflight or in the Cloister.