PARIS OLYMPICS UPCOMING IMPACT ON GROUND TRANSPORTATION
The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are coming to Paris this summer, and with the excitement of the competition also comes the challenge of logistics in and around the capital city. Both the Olympic and Paralympic Games will have prolonged impacts on traffic in the city of Paris and throughout Île-de-France. Taking place from July 26, 2024 to August 11, 2024 and then from August 28 to September 8 respectively, these two events will cause traffic impediments starting in mid-April and lasting through October.
OPERATIONAL TIMELINE AND ROAD CLOSURES
- Mid-April: Assembly began at the areas of Grand Palais, Point Alexandre III, and Invalides
- Early June: Assembly begins on the docks in the Opening Ceremony area
- Early July: Assembly begins on the bridges at the area of the Opening Ceremony
- Mid-July: Olympic Village is opened
- 26 July: Olympic Games begin accompanied by the introduction of reserved lanes
- Early August: Bridges and docks will start to open up again
- 11 August: Closing of the Olympic Games
- 28 August – 8 September: Paralympic Games
- September – October: Dismantling phase and gradual release of competition sites
Many of the impacts will be caused due to infrastructure assembly and disassembly operations throughout the 35 Olympic sites. Specific on-road or road-adjacent sporting events will also have impacts on ground transportation due to road closures.
RESERVED LANES SURROUNDING THE GAMES
Almost 125 miles of road lanes in and around Paris will be reserved for cleared groups only. These groups are accredited people (athletes, media, Olympic staff), taxis, emergency vehicles, and public transport. The lanes will be reserved for the assembly phase and all the way through the dismantling phases outlined above depending on operation schedules. The Ministry of Transport has compiled a map of all the restricted and closed roadways for reference.
DELAYS EXPECTED
Be prepared for delays and re-routings if transporting cargo on road through this area during the summer. Agents and carriers have started announcing surcharges for transportation through the Île-de-France area. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will create significant logistical challenges to delivery and transportation providers. Traffic restrictions and reserved lanes will be surrounding Olympic sites, necessitating proper coordination between cargo owners and their partners in the area.
Airport Announces Improved Baggage Handling Processes
The Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris has unveiled a new baggage and security process ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. Part of the new security is an improved scanner so agents have a more detailed scan of any cargo moving through the airport. They also have created a dedicated space of ~10,000 square meters which will be used to process the equipment and luggage of athletic delegations moving through the airport.
Port Mitigation Plans Could Be Announced Later
As of writing, local ports in France have not released any plans for navigating the bottlenecks presented by the competition.
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