This is the event. There Olympic flame will be in Toulouse, Friday May 17, late in the afternoon, after having crossed several towns in Haute-Garonne.
But as beautiful as the party promises to be, its organization will greatly complicate the travel of Toulouse residents. To the great dismay of their mayor, Jean-Luc Moudenc who expressed his concern. “If this event should unite us and be a time of celebration, the drastic measures imposed by the National Organization worry me about their impact on traffic and parking, the day before a long weekend,” explains the first city councilor during a press conference.
Cars in the garage…
In this regard, Pierre-André Durand, prefect of the Occitanie region and prefect of Haute-Garonne, recalls that following the organization of the passing of the flame, traffic and parking are prohibited from Thursday May 16 to 4 p.m. to Friday May 17 at 8 p.m. (See end of article for practical information). As for local residents and road users, they are invited to collect their vehicles before Thursday May 16 at 4 p.m. Vehicles kept on these roads will be subject to removal and fines.
And why keep it simple when you can make it complicated… Some car parks will also be closed. That of the Capitol, Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Basement 1 will be evacuated from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. On the Indigo d’Arnaud-Bernard parking lot, it will also be closed from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.…
…and the Vélo Toulouse stations are inaccessible
That means fewer options… And it’s not over yet. Vélo Toulouse stations will be inaccessible on Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Charging stations for electric vehicles will be inactive from Thursday at 8 a.m. to Friday at 8 p.m. Yego scooters will be idle on Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. For taxis… pick-up and drop-off will not be allowed from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.…
In short, like our French Olympic athletes, it will be better to equip yourself with your best sneakers to get around.
The 9 km route will start at Place Saint-Cyprien at 5:30 p.m. Then, the flame will be carried by the Saint-Pierre bridge to the Place du Capitole via the quays of the Garonne and the port of La Daurade.
Arrival in the lair of Stade Toulousain
It will then take the path to the Saint-Sernin basilica, passing the Palais des Sports in the Compans-Caffarelli district. It will run alongside the Canal du Midi, the Hôtel du Département and the Espace Job. It will finish its journey at 7:30 p.m. in the den of Stade Toulousain, the Ernest-Wallon stadium, with the lighting of the cauldron.
All fired up for this Olympic Friday in the city of rugby. If Ntamack or even Vincent Clerc will be able to move around the Pink City, this will not be the case for cars…
Practical information
In detail, traffic and parking are prohibited, by municipal decree, from Thursday May 16 at 4 p.m. to Friday May 17 at 8 p.m. within the following perimeter in Toulouse: Boulevard d’Arcole; Jane Atché roundabout; rue du Béarnais; Blagnac road; rue du Canon d’Arcole; Capitol Square; Place de la Daurade; Place Jean Diebold; boulevard de l’Embouchure; Charles de Fitte avenue; rue Gambetta; Garric road; rue Laplace; Lascrosses Boulevard; Lucien Lombard quay; rue Jean-Baptiste Lulli; Marquette Boulevard; rue Saint-Bernard, Place Saint-Cyprien; St. Peter’s Square; Place Saint-Sernin; path of the Seven Deniers; boulevard de Strasbourg; rue Jean Suau; rue du Taur; rue des Troènes.