The Basque Country is already preparing to become the world epicenter of cycling for three days on the occasion of the great start of the Tour de France that will take place this Saturday, July 1 in Bilbao. A cycling festival that will also continue in the second stage, with a full route in the Basque Country between Vitoria-Gasteiz and San Sebastián/Donostia, while the third stage will also feature Basque roads before making the leap to France for the final in Bayonne.
A cycling party that also It will be noticed in the main cities of the Basque Country, since numerous streets in Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and San Sebastián will be closed to prepare for the departures and arrivals of each of the stages.
For this reason, the Tour de France, the Basque Government, the councils of Bizkaia, Araba and Gipuzkoa and the municipalities of Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and San Sebastián have published a mobility guide to know in detail the streets through which the race will pass and the traffic cuts that will take place on the occasion of the Tour.
This guide recommends that on July 1, 2 and 3, citizens move on foot, by bike or by public transport, in addition to using park-and-ride parking, in addition to planning in advance the trips for those people who have to travel to the airports of Loiu (Bilbao) and San Sebastián, since the Tour will pass through roads very close to both aerodromes.
In the face of possible traffic cuts, the roads will be closed an hour and a half before the passage of the advertising caravan that precedes the race, while they will reopen an hour after the passage of the peloton. Some traffic closures that will occur earlier on the climbs to Vivero and Pike Bidea and the San Juan de Gaztelugatxe area, where it will not be possible to go up by car from June 30 in the case of stage 1, to reopen on the same day, July 1 at around 6:00 p.m. The ascent to Jaizkibel on both sides will also be closed to traffic on the 30th, which will be closed to traffic until Sunday, July 2, until 6:00 p.m. The closures will also affect the urban centers of Lekeitio and Ondarroa, where it will not be possible to access by car from 9:00 a.m. on Sunday 2 to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, July 3.
Stage 1: Bilbao – Bilbao (Saturday, July 1)
On the occasion of the first stage, access to Bilbao through San Mamés will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., while the Artxanda tunnels will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Deusto direction, while in Begoña the cut will be 24 hours from 10:00 p.m. on June 30 to 10:00 p.m. on July 1. There will also be cuts in Enekuri, since the accesses will be closed at 8:00 a.m. to reopen around 6:15 p.m. In addition, access to Bilbao via the N-634 will be closed from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
There will also be cuts on Avenida Zumalacárregui, where the finish line will be located, since it will have restrictions from June 28 with the arrival of the logistics trucks at Parque Etxebarria. These restrictions will increase from Friday June 30 at 8:00 p.m. and the road will be closed to traffic on July 1 from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
They will also suffer occasional cuts by the passage of the race the highways BI-704, BI-707, BI-3709, BI-3105, BI-3112, BI-2704, BI-2731, BI-647, BI-711, BI-634, BI- 2120, BI-3154, BI-3151, BI-2153, BI-2101, BI-3101, BI-2235, BI-2238, BI-3234, BI-2237, BI-2238, BI-3242, BI-2224, BI-635, BI-2121, BI-2713, N-637, N-634, BI-3732, BI-737, BI-3741, BI-604 and BI-625.
Stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz – Donostia/San Sebastián (Sunday, July 2)
The second stage of the Tour de France will cause the closure in Vitoria of the Mendizabala car parks from 10:00 p.m. on June 29 and the Mendizorrotza car park from June 30 at a time to be determined. Already on the day of July 1, the Portal de Lasarte car park will be closed from 2:00 p.m.
In Vitoria there will be closures in the area of the Landa municipality from July 1 at 10:00 p.m. to Sunday, July 2 at 3:00 p.m., while on the ascent to Alkiza the closures will take place from Saturday, July 1 at 7:00 a.m. until Sunday, July 2 at 17:00.
There will also be cuts in the ascent to Jaizkibel on both sides since it will not be possible to go up by car from Friday, June 30 at 2:00 p.m. to Sunday, June 2 at 6:00 p.m.
However The biggest traffic cuts will take place in Donostia/San Sebastián, since Zurriola Avenue will be closed to traffic on Saturday, July 1 from 8:00 p.m. for the finish line and podium assembly. There will also be cuts in Sagües and Paseo Nuevo from 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, to 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 2. There will also be closures on Avenida Buenavista, Travesía del Puerto de Pasaia, Avenida Alcalde José Elosegi, Ategorrieta, Avenida de Navarra and Avenida de Zurriola on Sunday, July 2 from 12:00 to 18:30 approximately.
In addition, the N-104, A-3110, A-3140, A-4005, A-3022, A-3012, A-3014, A-3002, A-627, A-3006, N -240, A-623, A-2620, GI-2620, GI-627, GI-2630, GI-3520, GI-2637, GI-2632, GI-2133, GI-3620, GI-2135, GI-2130 , GI-3650, GI-3630, GI-2631, GI-3610, GI-3722, GI-2132, GI-2134, N-638, GI-3440, GI-2638 and GI-636.
Stage 3: Amorebieta-Etxano – Bayonne (Monday, July 3)
The third stage of the Tour de France will be the last to take place on Spanish soil before the race makes the jump to France on the way to the finish line in Bayonne.
The traffic cuts will affect the town of Amorebieta-Etxano, where from Saturday, July 1, cars will not be able to remain parked in Gudari streets from the intersection with Txiki Otaegi, Ibaizabal and Nafarroa streets (with all their car parks included), Azoka , Jauregibarria, Belatxikieta, Bizkargi and Enrike Renteria to the garage at number 10. All these streets will be closed to traffic on Monday, July 3, from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
There will also be important traffic cuts in Donostia, since traffic will be limited in Igeldo from Sunday, July 2 at 6:00 p.m. before the total closure to the ascent on Monday, July 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Also The following streets of San Sebastián will be closed to traffic on Monday, July 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. due to the passage of the race: Padre Orkolaga, Cristóbal Balenziaga, Paseo de Igeldo, Iruña, Zumalakarrego, Satrustegi, Concha , Zubieta, Easo, Libertad, Hernani, Boulevard, Reina Regente, Zurriola Avenue, Navarra Avenue, Ategorrieta, Alcalde José Elosegi Avenue, Pasaia Port Crossing and Buenavista Avenue
In addition to the towns of Amorebieta-Etxano and Donostia/San Sebastián, there will also be occasional traffic cuts on Monday, July 3 on the following roads: BI-635, N-634, BI-3333, BI-633, BI-2405, BI-3438, GI-638, GI-636 and GI-2134 before the race goes to France after crossing the border between Irún and Hendaye.