Driving in Montreal during Grand Prix? Brace for road chaos
While F1 drivers prepare to navigate a slippery track in Montreal during this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, tourists and locals should probably avoid getting behind the wheel altogether.
With an estimated 100,000 people expected to flock downtown for the many festivities associated with Grand Prix weekend, the city is advising people to use public transportation as much as possible.
“To help citizens, the best piece of advice coming from the city would be to take the public transit, plan your moves, and enjoy the festivities during the weekend,” said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal, in a Tuesday press conference.
Along with Montreal’s usual sea of summer construction, additional road closures and heavy traffic are expected for the rest of the week as well.
Crescent Street, which will host its annual Grand Prix festival, is already closed between Saint-Catherine and Sherbrooke and will remain that way until Monday.
Meanwhile, Saint-Laurent Street between Beaubien and Jean-Talon streets will also be closed to cars for events.
“It’s sure that an event like the Grand Prix de Formule 1 du Canada has an impact on traffic, so that’s why we recommend people use public transit,” Martin Girard, a spokesperson for Quebec’s transport ministry, added. “Plan your trip. You can expect there will be more cars than ever on the Island of Montreal during the weekend.”
And for those wanting to soak up the action in person, driving to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve isn’t advisable either, as parking on Île Sainte-Hélène is extremely limited, accommodating only about 2% of the expected Grand Prix weekend attendees.
The event being jam-packed is also a safe bet. For context, the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix boasted the best-ever attendance in the event’s history, as a whopping 345,000 race fans hit up Montreal’s main circuit over a three-day span.