Montreal residents are no strangers to navigating road closures and detours due to ongoing construction projects. With the upcoming road cycling world championships scheduled from September 20 to 27, the city will experience a significant influx of elite cyclists taking to the streets.
A section of Park Avenue, specifically between des Pins and Mont-Royal avenues, will be closed to traffic from September 5 to October 4 to accommodate the races’ conclusion and the construction of a temporary stadium capable of holding up to 200,000 spectators.
The championships will impact seven boroughs and the City of Westmount, spanning 36 kilometers of the city’s road network. Some races will extend to the South Shore and beyond. While Park Avenue will be entirely closed during the championships, other streets will experience temporary closures on race days, reopening once the cyclists have passed through.
City officials emphasized the importance of preparedness for residents during a recent briefing. Interactive maps with real-time information for each race and affected regions are available on the championship’s website to assist with navigation.
Neighborhood closures will affect various services, including parking, bus routes, and municipal services like trash collection. The Ville-Marie and Plateau-Mont-Royal boroughs are expected to be the most impacted. Some bus routes will be diverted or canceled, encouraging the use of the Metro and active transportation where possible.
To accommodate affected residents, pedestrian walkways and crossways will be established, along with alternative parking solutions. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and Réseau de transport agglomération de Longueuil have outlined the impacted services on their respective websites to aid in trip planning.
Despite the anticipated disruptions, Montrealers are encouraged to embrace the event’s excitement as elite cyclists take over the city streets. Event organizers are committed to ensuring residents make the most of this unique experience. The upcoming championships mark the first time Montreal has hosted the event since 1974, with the previous edition held in Kigali, Rwanda.