Brazil: Rio de Janeiro to block traffic for Carnaval samba school parade

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – For the samba school parade, the interdictions and traffic detours in the central region and Campinhos, in the northern zone of Rio de Janeiro, start today, April 19. The festivity was transferred from February to April because of the covid-19 pandemic.

The parades at sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí begin tomorrow, April 20, at 09:00 PM, with seven schools of the Gold Series, also called the Access Group. On Thursday, April 21, eight other schools from this group will parade through the samba runway.

From 08:00 today, the bans will start on Avenida Brasil and, at 10:00 PM, in the port area, where the City of Samba is located. The traffic around the Novo Rio Bus Station may be affected. At midnight tonight, the central lane of Avenida Presidente Vargas, where the schools are preparing for the parade, will be closed. It could also have repercussions on traffic in Praça da Bandeira.

Important city roads will also be blocked, such as Túnel Rio 450, Via Binário do Porto, Avenida Venezuela, affecting the accesses via Praça Mauá and Rua Camerino; and Avenida Rodrigues Alves and the descending loop of Gasômetro, hindering the use of Túnel Marcello Alencar.

HOME OFFICE

Rio’s City Hall recommends that, on Friday, April 22, companies located downtown, in the Port Region, Cidade Nova, and Estácio adopt a home office regime or employees travel using public transportation only. Due to the Saint Jorge holiday on Saturday, April 23, the roadblocks will be maintained.

On Sunday, April 24, some streets in the central region will be freed from 09:00 AM, but the main blockades will be maintained due to the Junior School parade. The forecast is that all interdictions will be released from 02:00 AM on Monday.

The agents will work to guarantee the fluidity of the traffic and curb irregular parking. The special scheme relies on 260 traffic operators, 19 tow trucks, 29 motorcycles, 30 operational vehicles, and 11 message panels.

Those who go to the sambadrome should also choose public transportation, preferably the Metro, train, light rail, or ferry. The Metro will circulate 24 hours from 05:00 AM tomorrow until 11:00 PM on Sunday, with an extension for boarding at Central and Praça Onze stations until midnight.

Spectators with tickets for the odd side of the Sambódromo or those going to Terreirão do Samba and members of the samba schools that gather near the Balança Mas Não Cai building should disembark at the Central station. For the even side of the Sambódromo and the concentration next to the Post Office building, Praça Onze is recommended for disembarking.

INTENDENTE MAGALHÃES

The samba schools of the Superliga Carnavalesca do Brasil will parade on Estrada Intendente Magalhães, in Campinhos, in Rio’s North Zone, where the blocos de enredo from the Federação dos Blocos Carnavalescos will also perform. The blocos parade tomorrow, April 20, starting at 08:00 PM.

On Thursday, April 21, the schools of the Evaluation Group will perform, and the Bronze Series schools will parade on Friday, April 22. The schools of the Silver Series will parade on Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30. On Sunday, May 1, the schools of the Liga Independente Verdadeiras Raízes das Escolas de Samba (Liga Livres) will parade.

The roads in the region will be blocked on April 20, 21, and 22 from 04:00 PM to 05:00 AM; on April 29, from 09:00 PM to 06:00 AM; on April 30, from 06:00 PM to 06:0 AM, and on May 1, from 02:00 PM to midnight.

With information from Agência Brasil