Olympic flame in Lille and Lens, overview of traffic and travel conditions

The Olympic torch relay will pass through the Nord and Pas-de-Calais, on Tuesday 2 in Lille and Wednesday 3 July 2024 in Lens. It’s time to plan your trips. Public transport, parking, restrictions, an overview of what you need to know.

In anticipation of the crowds associated with the passage of the Olympic flame on July 2 and 3, 2024, the cities of Lille and Lens are taking steps to facilitate travel and take full advantage of the passage of the flame.

Ville de Lille

In order to relieve congestion at agencies and ticket vending machines, Ilévia is setting up a reinforced transport ticket sales system. “Vaulters will be present at several strategic points to sell tickets in person outside the stations”assures the MEL public transport manager.

It will be possible to use your bank card directly on the gates, in the following metro stations: Gare Lille Flandres, Gare Lille Europe, Gambetta, Rihour, République–Beaux-Arts, Les Prés Edgar Pisani, 4 Cantons Stade Pierre Mauroy Decathlon Arena, Cité Scientifique, Tourcoing Gare, with Open Payment (all explanations here).

Throughout the day, several bus lines will be diverted to the Lille and Roubaix/Tourcoing sector, and some line termini will be modified.

Attention ! Certain lines located within the perimeter of the passage of the flame will not run: the Navette du Vieux-Lille, the Citadine de Lille, the L91E, the 9, the C12 and the Z6.

Metro trains will run more on July 2.

• Line 1 will be reinforced and will run with a frequency of 1min20 to 2min30 during the day. Line 1 will run normally this Tuesday July 2 between 10:30 p.m. and until the end of service.
• Line 2 will also be reinforced, with a frequency of 1min30 to 2min30 during the day to allow users to travel along the route of the Olympic flame. JO Paris 2024.

On Tuesday July 2, 2024, the relay buses will terminate at the following stops:

• Victory over the branch towards Tourcoing.
• Victor Provo Hospital on the branch towards Roubaix.

They will not serve:

• The Tourcoing Center stops on the branch towards Tourcoing.
• The stops Roubaix Eurotéléport and Alfred Mongy on the branch to Roubaix.

The Gare Lille Europe tram station (towards Tourcoing and Roubaix) is not served from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. that day.

Find all the information on the Ilévia website.

The city of Lille specifies which traffic restrictions will be in force. Please note, this starts on Monday, July 1, 2024:

• Parking will be prohibited from Monday 1^is July 2024 at 11 p.m. to Tuesday July 2, 2024 at 10 p.m. (portions mentioned on the plan below).
• Traffic will be prohibited on Tuesday July 2, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (portions mentioned on the map below).

City of Lens and surrounding areas

The Tadao public transport network announces various diversions for Wednesday, July 3, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.:

Line B3

• The LENS – Centre-Ville stop is transferred to the LENS – Pont de Douai stop
• The LENS – Gares Quai 01 stop is transferred to the LENS – Pont de Douai stop
• The LENS – Faculté Jean Perrin stop is moved to the Lycée Saint Paul Quai 5 and Charcot stop

Ligne 11

• The LENS – Gares – Quai 06 stop is not served

Line B5

• The LENS – District Court judgment is postponed to the LENS – Centre-Ville judgment
  The LENS – Cantin Salengro stop is postponed to the LENS – Bertinchamps stop
  The LENS – Stade Léo Lagrange stop is moved to the LENS – Bertinchamps stop

Lines 18 and 22

• The LENS – Gares – Quai 09 stop is moved to the LENS – Hôpital Ouest stop
• The LENS – Gares – Quai 06 stop is moved to the LENS – Hôpital Ouest stop
• The LENS – Library stop is moved to the LENS – Hôpital Ouest stop
• The LENS – André Boulloche stop is postponed to the LENS – Hôpital Ouest stop

Find all the information on the TADAO website.

9 parking lots will be made available:

• Bottom of the République car park – Place de la République (free in the afternoon only)
• Square Choquet parking lot, rue Anatole France
• Place Salengro car park, avenue du 4 September
• Parking du Stade Bollaert Delelis
• Parking Rue Molière
• Lycée Condorcet car park, rue E. Dolet
• Parking at the train station, Rue des Déportés (note that this is chargeable)
• Parking at the Léo Lagrange Stadium, Avenue Raoul Briquet
• Parking Rue H. Mailly

To facilitate the passage of runners and the safety of the surrounding area, at least 23 streets will be impacted, some regulated, others completely closed.

Parking ban from July 2. Parking will be prohibited from 5 a.m. around Place Jean Jaurès in the following locations:

• All parking spaces located parallel to the road, (even numbers) on the Tourist Office side,
• On the forecourt and pedestrian mall of the Town Hall
• At the level of Metz street.

Likewise at 8 p.m., the central car park at Place Jean Jaurès will be closed, with the exit remaining open to allow emptying.

No parking on July 3 from 5 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.:

• The other half of the longitudinal parking lots around the square, on the odd side this time, will in turn be closed
• Part of Rue A. France and Rue V. Hugo
• Sizeranne Street
• On half of Rue Diderot
• Rue du Havre

From 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.:

• In the P7 car park, next to the Bollaert-Delelis stadium.
• On the upper level of the Place de la République car park.
• On the Salengro half of the car park (Carnot school side).
• Rue P. Bert (between the Belle Femme crossroads in Liévin and rue Bernanos)
• Rue G. Bernanos on the central bus lane
• Rue M. Carton
• Avenue Delelis on the central lane reserved for buses
• Rue M. Fréchet
• Rue E. Bollaert
• Boulevard E. Basly
• Rue du Maréchal Leclerc

Driving in the city around the route will also be prohibited on July 3:

• From 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Place Jean Jaurès and Rue Berthelot
• From 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the road alongside the P7 car park
• From 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the flame route as well as on rue P. Bert (exception made to local residents for this street), rue M. Carton, Avenue Delelis and Rue M. Fréchet.

To watch the flame travel from 4:55 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. along the entire length of the park, the D72, which serves the park entrance by car, will be made one-way in the direction of the mining ring road – Rebreuve-Ranchicourt.

There will be a P0 car park outside the park alongside the buses, as well as 3 car parks within the park itself. Find all the information on the Ohlain park website and on the map below.

A system of 9 car parks located outside the perimeter formed by the flame route will be set up on Wednesday July 3, 2024.

For car parks P1 and P2, approximately 45 minutes walk

• Cattle Market Parking (follow P1)
• University car park (follow P2)

For car parks P3 and P5, approximately 25 minutes walk

• Artois Expo parking (follow P3)
• Rosati car park (follow P5)

From P6 to P8, about 20 minutes walk

• Aquarena parking (follow P6)
• Cité Nature car park (follow P7)
• Crinchon parking (follow P8)

For the P9 car park and Arras train station, approximately 10 to 15 minutes walk

• Bergaigne parking (follow P9)

It will also be impossible to travel from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the day of passage.

Although it will be possible to move around and park inside the circle formed by the runners’ path during the performance, it will be impossible to enter or leave it, also from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

>>> Find the stages of the Olympic flame journey in the North