Find out which streets will be closed to traffic in Lisbon during WYD

The main arteries of downtown Lisbon will be closed to traffic on 1, 3 and 4 August for World Youth Day, according to a Chamber document accessed by the Lusa agency on Tuesday.

Restrictions will occur mainly between Parque Eduardo VII and Terreiro do Paso, covering roads such as Avenida da Liberdade, Avenida Infante D. Enrique, Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo, Rua do Carmo, Rua Castillo, Rua da -Prata, as well as Restauradores and Rossio squares. .

Campo das Cebolas, Rua Joaquim António de Aguiar, Rua Marquis da Fronteira, Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar, Marquês de Pombal Square, Praça do Comércio, Avenida Ribeira das Naus, Largo do Corpo Santo, Rua do Arsenal , Praça do Municipio and Rua Nova from Almada will also be covered.

According to the accessibility plan developed by the Lisbon City Council, these streets, avenues and squares will be subject to “absolute traffic restrictions” on 1, 3 and 4 August.

There will also be absolute traffic restrictions in the Tejo Trancao Park area on August 5 and 6, namely on Via do Oriente, on Paseo do Trancao and on the additional route No. 2 (IC2).

The Lisbon Chamber plan also provides for strict restrictions and restrictions for the Paseo Maritimo de Alges area on 6 August.

In addition to these roads with “absolute traffic restrictions”, the municipality has determined that other streets in the Parque Eduardo VII and Parque Tejo Trancao areas will have “heavily air-conditioned” traffic or occasional closures these days.

In the document, the Chamber of Lisbon indicates that on August 2, “no significant restrictions are foreseen.”

However, in a note sent to Luce, a source from the Lisbon City Council clarifies that residents, merchants, workers, pilgrims and tourists will not be affected by these restrictions, noting that pedestrian traffic will always be ensured.

“The same restrictions guarantee the movement of ambulances, the transport of medicines, the transport of people with reduced mobility, access to medical care even during events,” says the autarky, chaired by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas.

The Lisbon Chamber explains that this plan was developed in conjunction with the PSP and that the measures in place “ensure that the city and its economic operators do not stop.”

“An example of this is the creation of two time windows to supply all establishments, either at night (from 00:00 to 7:00) or in the morning of an event in which supply can occur between 7 00:00 and 10:00 hours of the main events indicated above , car access for residents and workers will not be affected,” the note states.

Lisbon has been chosen by Pope Francis for the next World Youth Day, which will take place from August 1st to 6th this year, with the main ceremonies taking place in the Eduardo VII Park and Tagus Park, north of Das Park. Nações, on the banks of the Tagus River, within the municipalities of Lisbon and Loures.

WYD was born at the initiative of Pope John Paul II after the success of the meeting organized in 1985 in Rome as part of the International Year of Youth.

The first meeting took place in 1986 in Rome, having already passed, in its current form, in Buenos Aires (1987), Santiago de Compostela (1989), Czestochowa (1991), Denver (1993), Manila (1995), Paris. (1997), Rome (2000), Toronto (2002), Cologne (2005), Sydney (2008), Madrid (2011), Rio de Janeiro (2013) ), Krakow (2016) and Panama (2019).

This year’s edition, which will be closed by the Pope, was originally scheduled for 2022 but was delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Pope Francis was the first to register for WYD Lisbon 2023 on October 23, 2022 at the Vatican after the Angelus celebration.