Travel in the areas surrounding Port Hercule, the Marché de la Condamine and the Rock of Monaco will be significantly impacted by the Olympic torch’s tour of the Principality on 18th June. Here is all the information that road users and pedestrians should be aware of.
On Tuesday 18th June, the Principality will be welcoming the Olympic flame back to its boulevards and avenues for the first time since 1968, when the torch passed through the region ahead of the Winter Olympics in Grenoble.
See more: Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and Charles Leclerc among Monaco’s Olympic torchbearers
Though the visit will only last a brief 30 minutes, between 2.15pm and 2.45pm, the ramifications of such a momentous occasion will be felt by road users and pedestrians for considerably longer.
On the roads
The following roads will be closed to traffic between 1pm and 3pm on the day of the event:
Avenue de la Quarantaine, from No.13 to the intersection with Avenue du Port; Avenue du Port; the Serravalle Tunnel; Place d’Armes; Rue des Açores; Rue de Millo; Rue Saige; Rue Terrazzani; Avenue de la Porte Neuve; Avenue des Pins; Place de la Visitation; Rue Philibert Florence; Rue des Remparts; Place du Palais; Rue Colonel Bellando de Castro; and Avenue Saint-Martin.
The electric vehicle recharging station on Avenue de la Quarantaine will close for the same period as will the MonaBike electric bicycle stations in Place d’Armes and the Place du Palais.
See more: The Olympic flame is coming to Monaco
Street parking on the following roads will be prohibited to all vehicles between 11pm on Monday 17th June and 4pm on Tuesday 18th June:
Quai Antoine Ier; Avenue de la Quarantaine; Avenue du Port; Rue des Açores; Rue de Millo; Rue Saige; Rue Terrazzani; Avenue des Pins; Rue Philibert Florence; Rue des Remparts; Rue Colonel Bellando de Castro; and Avenue Saint-Martin.
Though entry to the Place d’Armes and Condamine carparks will be off-limits during the event, drivers will still be able to use the Quai Antoine Ier, La Digue and Chemin des Pêcheurs carparks albeit via a diverted route.
Pedestrian access and limitations
Spectators keen to witness the Olympic torch’s tour through Monaco will be able to watch the event from several points along the route, including at the start line by the Juan Manuel Fangio statue in Port Hercule, along the Avenue du Port, at the Place du Marché corner and in the Place du Palais, but pedestrian access will be somewhat limited elsewhere on the route.
Between 1pm and 2.45pm, pedestrians will be unable to access the Rampe Major leading up to the Rock, meaning that those who want to watch the flame arrive in the Place du Palais will need to be there well ahead of time. The pedestrian crossing, such as the passage on Avenue de la Porte Neuve, will be closed between 2pm and 2.45pm.
Spectators should also expect filtering points with bag checks and other similar security measures.
Buses affected
For detailed information on the effects the event will have on bus travel in the Principality, notably on the local Compagnie Autobus de Monaco and French regional Zou ! networks, click here.
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Photo credit: Palais Princier de Monaco