Paris locks down as the Olympic Games approach

The new phase of temporary infrastructure assembly for the Olympic and Paralympic Games began this weekend in Paris.

The assembly of the temporary Olympic facilities continues in Paris and, as planned, involves traffic restrictions for cars, but also for bikes, scooters, and pedestrians.

You will need to start anticipating your travel plans and get used to checking real-time route guidance apps. More generally, prepare to greatly avoid and detour around the center of Paris!

Here are the latest updates announced by the Paris Prefecture:

Invalides Sector

The Invalides area will host archery competitions, the marathon finish, and the start of the cycling time trial. Continuing installation of these competition sites requires closing the roundabout of Les Bleuets de France to traffic. Bidirectional traffic is maintained on Rue de Grenelle, with narrowed lanes. The underground public parking at Invalides will be closed until September 25. The gas station remains operational until June 17, then will be suspended until September 25.

Trocadéro Champ de Mars Sector

The Trocadéro area will host the Olympic opening ceremony, the Champions park, as well as the start and finish of walking and inline cycling events. In this area, Avenue des Nations-Unies will be closed to motorized and pedestrian traffic between Rue Le Nôtre and Place de Varsovie, and between Place de Varsovie and Avenue Albert de Mun. Rue Le Nôtre will be converted to two-way traffic for local access. The Joffre underground public parking will be closed from July 15 to September 8, and the surface Grand Suffren parking will also be closed from July 15 to September 8.

Concorde Sector

The entire Place de la Concorde, which will host BMX Freestyle, breakdance, 3×3 basketball, skateboarding competitions, as well as the Paralympic opening ceremony, will be closed to all traffic:

• In the north-south direction, Rue Royale is closed to all traffic, except for local access needs, from Place de la Madeleine and Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré to Place de la Concorde;
• In the south-north direction, from Rue de Rivoli, which is already limited to general traffic, traffic remains open on Rue Royale toward Madeleine. Local access remains authorized east-west toward Avenue Gabriel.
• In the west-east direction, on Avenue des Champs-Élysées, traffic between Avenue Winston Churchill and Place de la Concorde is closed.

The Concorde Bridge is accessible from Cour de la Reine in the north-south direction and remains accessible for local access in the south-north direction. Detours for bicycle traffic will be implemented, and the underground public parking La Concorde will be closed from June 1 to September 25.

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