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Cartagena is bracing for ten days of traffic disruption as the City Council rolls out a special traffic and parking plan for the Carthaginians and Romans Festival. The measures will run from September 18 to 27, with closures affecting access roads to the Festival Camp, the parade routes and various points around the city centre and port area.

 

One of the main changes affects the Festival Camp itself, where vehicles will generally be banned from driving or parking throughout the ten days. Vehicles providing a service to the festival facilities will still be able to get in and park until midday, but only with prior authorisation from the Local Police.

 

Parking in the area next to the Camp will be allowed until 5pm, except on September 19, 23, 25, 26 and 27, when the ban will run until midnight instead. Authorised vehicles, those belonging to people with reduced mobility and emergency vehicles are exempt from these rules, as long as they park in the areas set aside and marked for them.

 

Festival participants and visitors will be able to use the old Festival Camp, just behind the current one, or the car park at Shopping La Rambla commercial centre as alternatives. The City Council is also recommending the underground car parks at Alameda de San Antón and Plaza de España, while a temporary taxi rank will be set up next to the Cartagonova Stadium.

 

A longer running restriction will hit Avenida del Cantón, which will be shut to traffic from 4pm on September 18 right through to 7am on September 27. Parking and the movement of vehicles with special permits will also be banned in the pedestrian area between the Town Hall square and Calle Carmen while the parades pass through.

 

From 2pm on September 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25 and 26, parking will be prohibited at several key spots around the city as the parades make their way through. These include:

the western side of Puerta de Madrid

the western side of Plaza de España

the western zone of Alameda de San Antón

Calle Soldado Rosique

the Cartagonova bridge heading towards the Festero Camp

 

The Local Police will stop traffic along these routes as the parades progress.

 

The port area will also see disruption, with traffic closed off in the port area itself, Paseo Alfonso XII and Plaza Mayor from 8pm onwards on September 19, 20, 21, 23 and 24.

 

A special operation is planned for Friday September 25 for the Battle of Cuesta Batel, with road closures introduced in stages throughout the evening. From 4.30pm, traffic will be stopped from Plaza de la Isla towards Héroes de Cavite and from the San Agustín roundabout towards the port. An hour later, from 5.30pm, the closure will extend to cover the route from the Bus Station roundabout towards Plaza de la Isla.

 

Certain areas will be kept clear throughout the festival to serve as evacuation routes, including the area around the Cartagonova Municipal Stadium, the road next to the Festival Camp, Avenida del Cantón and the section of Calle Soldado Rosique at the bridge leading to the stadium. Parking won't be allowed in any of these areas for the full ten days.

 

On Sunday September 27, once the pyrotechnic show near the Camp starts being set up, a 100 metre security perimeter will also come into force, with both parking and people banned from the area.

 

The City Council has warned that any vehicle found parked in a restricted area, whether inside the Camp, near the Cartagonova Stadium, along the parade route, close to where shows are taking place or on an evacuation route, could be reported and towed to the municipal depot.

 

The overall aim of the plan is to keep the city moving while keeping everyone safe throughout the ten days of celebrations, particularly at the busiest times and when the parades are passing through.

 

For more upcoming events in the Region of Murcia go to the What’s on section of Murcia Today.

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena