MAP: Traffic in Budapest will be nightmarish in the next few days
Budapest celebrates Hungary’s national day today and tomorrow, while the World Athletics Championships kicks off today. Therefore, traffic changes significantly, and there will be a lot of closures and temporary traffic restrictions in the downtown of the Hungarian capital. Furthermore, on Sunday, even the Turkish president is to arrive in Budapest, one of the most well-protected heads of state in the world.
Closures in Budapest downtown and South Pest: traffic difficult
Due to the 20 August celebrations, which is Hungary’s main national day, authorities introduced multiple traffic restrictions spanning between 12 and 23 August in Budapest. For example, you cannot stop on the Pest lower quay, the Northern and Southern parking lot of the Chain Bridge, and on both sides of the Jane Haining quay between the Chain Bridge and the Elizabeth Bridge. Moreover, you cannot leave your car on the Danube side of the Sztehlo Gábor quay between the Halász Street and the Margaret Bridge and the Műegyetem quay between the Szent Gellért Square and the Bertalan Lajos Street.
The closures concern the Szabadság Bridge, the Buda lower quay, the Műegyetem quay and the Pest quay between the Jászai Mari Square and the Közraktár Street. Importantly, you will not be able to use the following bridges this weekend: Elizabeth/Erzsébet Bridge, Szabadság/Freedom Bridge and the Chain Bridge.
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- PROGRAMME GUIDE: 20 August in Budapest – programmes, food & drink prices
Temporary traffic restrictions affect the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 13th districts of Budapest and some parts of the 14th district. HERE you can read the full list on the official website of the Hungarian police. However, unfortunately, it has not been translated into English. But below, there is a map which helps you understand the rules easily.
Today marks the beginning of the World Athletics Championships. Therefore, traffic restrictions will take place in the 1st, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 21st districts of Budapest. The main venues of the competitions will be in the brand new national athletics centre in the 9th district, near the Danube and on the training tracks in Csepel (21st district). Some of the restrictions may last until 15 September, Szeretlek Magyarország wrote.
Police helps with MAP
Because of the event, you may not leave your car on the Állatkert/Zoo promenade between Gundel Károly Street and the Heroes’ Square, on the service roads of the Andrássy Avenue between Dózsa György Street and Munkácsy Mihály Street and Kodály körönd.
Since the national athletics centre is located in South Budapest, many streets will be closed for public traffic in that area as well. Some are Soroksári Street, Laczkovich Street, Csepel quay, Dalai Láma Street, Szabad Hongkong (Free Hongkong) Street, and Csont Street. Furthermore, the temporary closures concern the Olof Palme promenade, Verona angyalai (Angels of Verona) Street, and the Kós Károly promenade in Budapest’s 6th district. The Hungarian police shared the sections and streets concerned HERE.
Probably the main rule is that you should not travel by car to Andrássy Avenue, the Deák Ferenc Square, the Buda Castle, and to the lower quays of Budapest this weekend. To help people decide about the best option, the police made a map of the changes. It is in Hungarian, but it is easy to understand. The meaning of the colours is the following:
- brown: road closure
- blue: forbidden to stop
- orange: temporarily closed
- yellow: two-way traffic introduced
In the “description” (leírás) section, you may check out the exact times and dates of the changes. Here is the map: