Montreal residents are well-versed in handling road closures, detours, and construction zones, and their expertise will be put to the test with the upcoming road cycling world championships. Scheduled from September 20 to 27, the event will bring elite cyclists from around the globe to Montreal, where they will dominate the city streets, including a stretch of Park Avenue between des Pins and Mont-Royal avenues.
Following an announcement made in April, the section of Park Avenue designated as the finish line for all races has been shut down to traffic until October 4. This closure is essential for the setup and removal of a temporary stadium on Park Avenue, which can accommodate up to 200,000 spectators.
The championships will impact seven boroughs and the City of Westmount, spanning 36 kilometers of the island’s road network. Some races will even traverse to the South Shore and beyond. While Park Avenue will remain completely inaccessible throughout the championships, other streets will be temporarily blocked on race days and then reopened once the cyclists have passed through.
City officials emphasized the importance of being prepared for the upcoming disruptions. Jim Beis, a member of the city’s executive committee, urged residents to visit the championship’s website for detailed information and interactive maps to navigate around the affected areas during the event.
Residents in various neighborhoods can expect disruptions in parking, bus routes, and municipal services such as trash collection, with Ville-Marie and Plateau-Mont-Royal boroughs facing the most significant impacts. To mitigate transportation challenges, some bus routes will be diverted or canceled, prompting officials to recommend the use of the Metro and other active transportation options whenever feasible.
Pedestrian walkways and crossings will be established to ensure continued access to affected neighborhoods, while alternative parking arrangements will be provided for impacted residents. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has outlined the impacted services, particularly the most affected bus lines, on its website to assist residents in planning their travels during the championships.
Public transit services to and from the South Shore and Montérégie will also be affected on specific dates, with further information available on the Réseau de transport agglomération de Longueuil website and the Chrono app by Exo. While acknowledging the inevitable disruptions, officials stressed that hosting events of this scale often involves such inconveniences.
Despite the challenges posed by the road closures and event logistics, the cycling championships present a unique opportunity for Montrealers to witness world-class athletes in action right in their city. Joseph Limar, the general manager of the UCI 2026 Road World Championships, highlighted the efforts being made to ensure residents can fully enjoy the experience. The last time Montreal hosted the road cycling world championships was more than 50 years ago, in 1974, with the recent 2025 event taking place in Kigali, Rwanda.