Major traffic disruptions in Budapest for 20 August celebrations
Due to national holiday celebrations on 20 August, central Budapest will face significant traffic restrictions and closures.
Pedestrian-only sections in Budapest on 20 August
In the morning, roads along the Danube will be closed for an aerial display, and in the afternoon, restrictions will be in place near József Attila Street and around St Stephen’s Basilica for the Holy Right procession.
Pedestrians will have exclusive access to the Chain Bridge all day,
and several key areas, including Buda Castle, Várkert Embankment, and Műegyetem Embankment, will be closed to road traffic and trams due to various events, Vezess.hu reports.
Traffic restrictions, fireworks display
Starting at 7:00 PM, several bridges and riverfront areas between Margaret Bridge and Liberty Bridge, along with adjacent streets, will be shut for the evening fireworks display. Given these closures and the expected large crowds,
the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) is recommending public transport, particularly the metro, as the most reliable way to navigate the city.
BKK also advises passengers to stay informed of updates related to the fireworks.
The fireworks will start at 9:00 PM on 20 August, Tuesday, and are expected to conclude at 9:35 PM. Road traffic and surface transport may be disrupted late in the afternoon and evening across a broad central area, bounded by Margaret Bridge, Szent István Boulevard, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Street, Károly Boulevard, Kossuth Lajos Street, and further streets stretching to Krisztina Boulevard, Vérmező Road, and Margaret Boulevard. Public transport routes will be modified accordingly.
Key road closures:
- The Pest lower embankment will be closed between Margaret Bridge and Közraktár Street, and the Budai lower embankment between Rákóczi Bridge and Margaret Bridge.
- Pedestrian-only access to the Chain Bridge until 8:00 PM, after which it will be fully closed.
- Continuous restriction within the Buda Castle area.
- Lánchíd Street and Várkert Embankment will be closed for the Street of Hungarian Flavours event.
- The Műegyetem Embankment and Budafoki Road at Szent Gellért Square will be entirely shut.
- Alkotmány Street in District V remains closed.
- From 4:00 PM, traffic on Margaret Bridge will be restricted, and affected buses will use tram tracks in both directions.
- From 7:00 PM, Liberty Bridge, Elizabeth Bridge, and Margaret Bridge will be fully closed.
- Between 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, there will be restrictions on József Attila Street and around the Basilica for the Holy Right procession.
The Chain Bridge and Műegyetem Embankment will reopen to traffic in one direction at 6:00 AM on 21 August. Full access to Műegyetem Embankment and Alkotmány Street will resume early on 23 August.
Read also:
- Hungary prepares for Europe’s largest fireworks display on 20 August in Budapest – Here are the details
- New Hungarian traffic rules for bicycles and e-scooters on the horizon
Featured image: depositphotos.com