A complicated February awaits Milanese motorists, who will have to deal with the changes to traffic of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics. Closed roads, forced detours and invitations to leave the car at home, the prerequisites for a red-sticker February are all there.
It starts from February 2nd
I first inconveniences they will start as early as February 2nd, well before the inaugural ceremony scheduled for the 6th. The city will begin to adopt extraordinary measures, with a strong use of smart working and with several schools that will remain closed, especially in the central areas. The Municipality has announced an expansion of the public transport local, in an attempt to reduce the impact on daily travel as much as possible.
The first critical event is scheduled for the afternoon of February 2nd: from 5pm the Teatro alla Scala will host the official presentation of the Games to the President of the Republic. To guarantee safety, from 2pm to midnight traffic will be completely banned in Piazza della Scala, Via Manzoni, Via Case Rotte, Largo Mattioli and all adjacent streets. A strategic area which, in fact, will block one of the beating hearts of the city.
On February 5th, between official dinners and the metro closed
The next particularly delicate day will be February 5th. At the Steam Factory in fact, a welcome dinner organized by the president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry, is scheduled. Also in this case, bans and restrictions will come into effect from 2pm until midnight, involving a large portion of Northern Milan.
The streets affected include piazzale Baiamonti, via Ceresio, piazzale Cimitero Monumentale, via Bramante, via Niccolini, via Luigi Nono, via Messina, via Procaccini, piazza Coriolano, via Cenisio, via Galileo Ferraris. To further complicate the situation, several surface ATM lines will be suspended, while the M5 metro line will skip the Cenisio and Monumentale stops, also creating inconvenience for those traveling by public transport.
February 6: the most critical day
February 6 is circled in red on the calendar. It’s the day of inaugural ceremony and, according to the authorities, it will be the one with the greatest impact on traffic. Many companies have already invited employees to work from home, while many schools have already ordered extraordinary closures.
The center of Milan will be practically armored, with inevitable repercussions not only on the ring roads, but also on the ring roads and main connecting axes. Online and on official channels there is only one piece of advice: avoid non-essential travel and, if possible, stay at home.
Restrictions also for motorbikes, scooters and bicycles
It won’t just be cars that will have to deal with the restrictions. From February 2nd to March 18th, motorbikes, scooters and bicycles will also be affected important limitations. In particular, access to the preferential lane of bus lines 90 and 91 will be prohibited in the section between the Viale Serra–Viale De Gasperi–Viale Scarampo intersection, to the north-west, and Piazzale Lodi, to the south-east. It is about 9 kilometers of route with 29 intersections, a choice that will have a significant impact on the mobility of those who usually use two wheels to move more quickly in the city.
Restrictions extended until the end of February
In addition to individual events, there are fixed limitations that will remain in force until at least February 23, close to the main ones Olympic venues. At the Olympic Village of Scalo Romana there are bans in via Lorenzini and in the via Ripamonti until March 20th. In the MiCo–Portello area the service roads of via Scarampo and viale Teodorico will be closed.
Further restrictions will affect sensitive areas such as the Westin Palace in Piazza Repubblica, Palazzo Giureconsulti, the Ice Hockey Arena in Santa Giulia, the Ice Park in Rho and the Ice Skating Arena in Assago. A mosaic of bans that will redraw the map of Milanese mobility for several weeks.
