Warsaw faces weekend traffic chaos as military rehearses Armed Forces Day parade
Warsaw will face severe traffic disruptions this weekend as the military rehearses its Armed Forces Day parade, with Wisłostrada closed for 19 hours and multiple bridges shut during an aircraft flyover drill.
Bridges shut for flyover rehearsal
Warsaw will grind to a partial halt this weekend as the armed forces rehearse for the 15 August Polish Armed Forces Day parade. On Saturday 8 August, between 11:30 and 13:30, an aircraft flyover rehearsal will completely stop traffic on the Gdański Bridge, the Śląsko-Dąbrowski Bridge and the pedestrian-cyclist bridge. City hall warned that if weather conditions prevent the Saturday drill, it will be moved to Sunday. Bus lines 100, 190, 409 and 500 will follow alternate routes during the aviation rehearsal: line 100 will avoid the Gdański Bridge and use Karowa and Dobra streets, line 190 will turn back at Plac Bankowy on the city-center side, and lines 409 and 500 will terminate at Rondo Starzyńskiego on the Praga side and Dworzec Gdański in Śródmieście.
- Aircraft flyover rehearsal begins; Gdański Bridge, Śląsko-Dąbrowski Bridge and pedestrian-cyclist bridge closed
- Aircraft flyover rehearsal ends; bridges reopen
- Wisłostrada closed from Most Skłodowskiej-Curie to ul. Gagarina for parade rehearsal
- Wisłostrada parade rehearsal closure ends
- Asphalting begins on Bielany section; two lanes toward city center closed
Wisłostrada closed for 19 hours
The largest disruption will run from Saturday 16:00 to Sunday 11:00, when Wisłostrada will be impassable from Most Skłodowskiej-Curie to ulica Gagarina. All connections to Wisłostrada will be cut from Trasa AK and Most Grota-Roweckiego, Aleja Solidarności and Most Śląsko-Dąbrowski, and Most Poniatowskiego. Drivers approaching from Mokotów via ulica Czerniakowska will be sent only onto the Trasa Łazienkowska toward the center or onto Most Łazienkowski. The city recommended detours via Modlińska and Jagiellońska streets, then Wybrzeże Helskie, Wybrzeże Szczecińskie and Wał Miedzeszyński. Traffic from Łomianki will be diverted onto Marymoncka, then Słowackiego, Mickiewicza, Andersa and Marszałkowska.
Public transport rerouted
Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego announced that at least 20 bus lines (100, 106, 107, 108, 114, 118, 127, 131, 141, 159, 162, 166, 167, 185, 187, N14, N16, N33, N64, N83) will follow detour routes during the rehearsal. If tram traffic is also suspended, lines crossing the Vistula (1, 4, 6, 18, 20, 28, 76) will be split into two segments. Line 1 and line 20 would terminate at the Piaski loop on the Śródmieście side. The tourist tram line T will run only on the Śródmieście side, from Plac Bankowy via Andersa and Mickiewicza to the Marymont-Potok loop.
Cyclists and pedestrians affected
Bike paths along Wisłostrada from ulica Krasińskiego to the Śląsko-Dąbrowski Bridge will be closed during the rehearsal. Pedestrians and cyclists will not be able to cross Wisłostrada near Krasińskiego, Wenedów, Ludna and Łazienkowska streets. The underground passage at ulica Sanguszki will also be shut. On Sunday morning, pedestrians and cyclists will not be able to use the Gdański Bridge. The stops Most Gdański and Wybrzeże Helskie will be suspended, and buses will pass over the bridge without stopping.
Asphalting adds to Sunday disruption
After the parade rehearsal ends, asphalting work will begin on the Bielany section of Wisłostrada. Around Sunday noon, two lanes (middle and right) on the carriageway toward the city center will close from the start of the estakady to Most Grota-Roweckiego. Drivers heading to the center will use two lanes: one on the normal carriageway and one on the opposite carriageway running against traffic. Two lanes will remain open toward Łomianki. A 40 km/h speed limit will apply on both carriageways. Drivers from Łomianki will enter Wisłostrada at Gwiaździsta and Trasa AK, but should choose the right lane at the Bielany estakady. Information boards will suggest the Marymoncka detour to Trasa AK.
