Are there still road closures for the Commonwealth Games? No. The Games ran from 23 July to 2 August 2026, and the closures and restrictions Glasgow 2026 published ran between 20 July and 3 August.
The Low Emission Zone is a different matter. It still applies, it covers specific roads in Glasgow city centre, and a vehicle that doesn’t meet the standard and isn’t exempt can get a £60 penalty charge. The SEC (the Scottish Event Campus) and the Hydro are outside it, according to the council’s own LEZ map data.
Last checked: 24 October 2026.
| Place | Inside the LEZ? |
|---|---|
| SEC campus (Hydro, Armadillo, SEC Centre) | No, outside |
| Glasgow International Arena (formerly the Emirates Arena) and the Velodrome | No, outside |
| Scotstoun Stadium | No, outside |
| Tollcross International Swimming Centre | No, outside |
| Hampden Park (not one of the four Games venues) | No, outside |
| Glasgow Central station | Yes, inside |
| City-centre hotels | Depends on the street, so check it on the council’s map |
Commonwealth Games road closures: what closed and when
Glasgow 2026 said most roads across the city would stay open as normal, with a small number of temporary restrictions around the venues. These are the ones it published before the Games. They’ve all ended.
SEC and the Hydro
Congress Road, West Greenhill and Minerva Street, between Minerva Way and the Clydeside Expressway off-ramp, were closed to non-authorised vehicles between 22 July and 2 August. Stobcross Road, between Congress Way and Pointhouse Place, was closed to non-authorised vehicles on 23 and 24 July for the Opening Ceremony. The northbound left-turn lane on Finnieston Quay was unavailable, and there was no right turn from Congress Way into Congress Road.
Glasgow International Arena and the Velodrome
A full road closure ran between Nuneaton Street and Clyde Gateway, from 22 July to 2 August. Glasgow 2026 also listed short-term traffic measures close to the venue.
Tollcross
A temporary northbound-only one-way system ran between Tollcross Road and Trainard Avenue from 22 July to 2 August. There was a no-stopping area directly outside the venue on Wellshot Road, and no left turn from Trainard Avenue into Wellshot Road.
Scotstoun Stadium
Danes Drive became eastbound only from 22 July to 2 August, with the left-hand lane kept for authorised vehicles and the right-hand lane for local traffic. There was no access to or from Danes Drive via Vancouver Road, no stopping on Danes Drive, and a set of turning bans on the side streets. A Scotstoun Events Permit Zone also ran, the same way as for Glasgow Warriors home matches.
City centre and Kelvingrove Park
Glasgow 2026 said road restrictions in the city centre covered 20 July to 3 August, and showed the streets on maps. It also said there were no planned road closures outside Kelvingrove Park, where the free Game On live site was.
The programme had no marathon, road cycling or triathlon. Glasgow 2026 held all ten sports at its four venues.
Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ)
The LEZ isn’t a Games thing, and it didn’t go away when the Games finished. There are four in Scotland, in the city centres of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The penalties and exemptions below come from the Scottish Government’s LEZ pages, last updated on 26 June 2026, and they match Glasgow City Council’s own LEZ page.
What it covers
The zone covers specific roads in the city centre. The council says it’s about a square mile, bounded by the M8 to the north and west, the River Clyde to the south and Saltmarket and High Street to the east. The M8 itself isn’t in it.
It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, public holidays included, and cameras check the number plate of every vehicle that drives in. Enforcement in Glasgow began on 1 June 2023.
To see if your street is in, search it on the council’s LEZ map. Traffic Scotland’s journey planner shows which roads are in a zone too.
The council can suspend the zone, in full or in part, for events of local or national significance, and in emergencies. It decides that case by case, so don’t count on it.
Which vehicles can drive in?
- Petrol cars and vans: Euro 4 or newer
- Diesel cars and vans: Euro 6 or newer
- Buses, coaches and HGVs: Euro VI for diesel, Euro IV for petrol
- Motorbikes, mopeds and fully electric vehicles: the restrictions don’t apply
- Hybrids: the same restrictions as petrol or diesel
As a rough guide, the council says diesels registered after September 2015 and petrols registered from 2006 onwards generally meet the standard. Not sure about yours? Put the number plate into the vehicle checker before you drive in. It only covers UK-registered vehicles.
Penalties
The first penalty charge is £60, and it drops to £30 if you pay within 14 days. It doubles each time the same vehicle drives in the same zone within 90 days, so £120, then £240, then £480. That’s the cap for cars and light goods vehicles. Minibuses, buses, coaches and HGVs are capped at £960.
After 90 days without a charge, you’re back to £60. You can only get one penalty per zone per day, and you can’t prepay to avoid one. The notice goes to the registered owner of the vehicle.
Exemptions
- Blue Badge. This covers a vehicle driven by a Blue Badge holder, one carrying a passenger with a Blue Badge, and one driven with an organisation’s badge. If the vehicle doesn’t meet the standard, register before you drive in, or you may get a fine.
- Disabled tax class. Vehicles in the “disabled vehicle” or “disabled passenger vehicle” tax class, with a tax exemption or reduction. Exemptions are picked up automatically, but reductions may not be.
- Emergency service and military vehicles.
- Historic vehicles. Made or first registered at least 30 years ago, no longer in production, and kept in their original state. You don’t need to register.
- Showman’s vehicles. These must be registered with the council.
- Local exemptions. Councils can grant them for up to a year, for things like specialised construction or recovery vehicles.
Venue by venue: what’s inside the LEZ and what’s not
We checked each place’s postcode against Glasgow City Council’s open LEZ map data, which was last updated on 18 November 2025. Here’s how it came out.
SEC and the Hydro
Outside. The SEC’s postcode, G3 8YW, falls outside the zone, and the Hydro shares it. Your route is a separate question, because cutting through the city centre can take you onto zone roads, so check the streets you’d use.
Glasgow International Arena, Scotstoun and Tollcross
All three are outside the zone, and so is Hampden Park. The Arena is on London Road, Scotstoun is out west on Danes Drive, and Tollcross is on Wellshot Road in the east.
City-centre hotels
This is the one to check. Glasgow Central station is inside the zone, and the zone covers specific roads, not the whole centre. If you’re driving a car that doesn’t meet the standard, look up your hotel’s street on the council’s map before you book. Our park and ride guide has other options.
Driving to the venues now
If you’re heading to an event at one of the old Games venues, the train’s usually the easier bet. The SEC has its own station, Exhibition Centre, with six trains an hour from Glasgow Central and a covered walkway to the campus. The Arena’s nearest station is Dalmarnock, on the Argyle Line. Planned rail disruption can affect those trains, and the SEC posts a warning at the top of its how to get here page, so check it before you travel.
If you do drive, the SEC has a multi-storey car park on the east of the campus, and the Hydro’s drop-off zone is at the west of the SEC Centre. The Arena has its own car park, which Glasgow Life lists as free, though it warns the car park can get very busy at major events.
Our guide to getting to Glasgow’s big venues covers the rest, and our full LEZ guide goes into more detail on the zone.
Common questions
Are there still Commonwealth Games road closures in Glasgow?
No. The closures Glasgow 2026 published ran between 20 July and 3 August 2026, and the Games finished on 2 August.
Is the SEC in Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone?
No. The council’s LEZ map data puts the SEC and the Hydro outside the zone.
Is the LEZ still running?
Yes. It runs 24 hours a day, every day, and enforcement in Glasgow began on 1 June 2023.
How much is the LEZ fine?
£60 for a first penalty charge, or £30 if you pay within 14 days. It doubles for repeat breaches within 90 days, up to £480 for a car.
Do hybrids and electric cars need to worry about the LEZ?
Fully electric vehicles aren’t covered. Hybrids are, and they follow the same rules as petrol or diesel cars.
The Games closures are history, but the LEZ isn’t. Check your car before you drive into the centre, and see our where to stay guide if you’re picking a base for an event at the same venues.
