The roads are closing for the Olympics, problems are starting for Parisian drivers

It's the start of a nightmare for drivers and cyclists in Paris. As of Friday, May 17, the first roads are being closed, starting with the Alexandre-III bridge that connects Les Invalides to the Grand Palais. These closures are necessary to prepare for the Olympics, which are just two months away. However, they are not bringing much excitement to road users who are stuck in massive traffic jams, according to reports from Le Parisien.

En plus de la fermeture aux voitures de la Place de la Concorde, il y aura le début de fermeture du métro dès ce 17 mai jusqu'à la fermeture totale de la station interdisant les changements de lignes 1, 8 et 12.
"Calmez-vous, ca va bien se passer" comme dirait l'autre... pic.twitter.com/VhHJQUhJjL
— 🪳🍞 pangolino57 🦗🍔 (@pangolino57) May 11, 2024

Impatient but Informed Users

According to Jeanne d'Hauteserre, Mayor of the VIIIth arrondissement, motorists were actually warned. "I understand Parisians' annoyance but the information has been available for several weeks. The police headquarters communicated on their website and the district town halls shared it," she explained to the newspaper.

Disruptions until September

While the Alexandre-III bridge is closed to cars from May 17th to September 20th, the Rue Royale from Place de la Concorde to Place de la Madeleine is also inaccessible until September 7th. Pedestrians can still access it. The Place de la Concorde is also closed to motor vehicles from May 17th, but open to pedestrians and cyclists from June 1st until the beginning of September. Enjoy the city in a different way during these disruptions!