Find out what the traffic plan will be in Rio during Carnival.

In the special traffic plan set up by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall for this year's carnival, for the first time, drivers will be able to use the Marcelo Alencar tunnel on the Express Way, and passengers will have two VLT (Light Rail Vehicle) lines in the city center.

These options will make it easier for the public to get to the Sambadrome on Avenida Marquês de Sapucaí. 

Progressive traffic restrictions will begin at midnight on Friday (24) and the streets will be fully open only at 17 pm on Tuesday (28).

Around 1,1 million people are expected to travel to Rio during this period, and hotel occupancy is projected to reach 80%. The forecast is that this will generate R$ 3 billion for the city's economy during this time.

Tunnel

The Marcello Alencar tunnel is an option for drivers to avoid the streets of the city center. The underpass connects the Linha Vermelha highway, the Rio-Niterói Bridge, and Avenida Brasil to the Flamengo landfill and Santos Dumont Airport. The movement of the samba school floats will require road closures in the city center.

The days considered critical by the organizers are Friday, which will be a public holiday, and Saturday. Some areas will be blocked near Santos Dumont Airport, and therefore, the city hall recommends that passengers arrive at the location in advance.

The city government also suggests that the public use public transportation, giving preference to the subway, train, and light rail during Carnival. Bus routes will be altered due to street parades and road closures in some areas near the Marquês de Sapucaí.

The subway and trains will operate 24 hours a day, and the light rail (VLT) from 6 am to midnight. All three operators recommend that passengers purchase tickets in advance. For trains, only the Central do Brasil station will allow boarding during the early morning hours; the other stations will only be available for disembarking.

The Catete and Presidente Vargas subway stations will be closed, and some stations will have altered hours due to the Carnival festivities. The Carioca, Glória, and General Osório stations will have external ticket booths to expedite boarding.

VLT

On days with the highest concentration of people near the VLT tracks, such as Saturday with the Cordão da Bola Preta parade, and Monday with Afroreggae, service will be suspended on Line 2, which connects Praça XV to Central do Brasil.

To reduce queues, the concessionaire will reinforce the teams selling tickets on the go and validating tickets before boarding.

The stations will be surrounded by fences at the busiest points, including Praça XV, Praça Tiradentes, and Parada dos Navios. The recommendation is that revelers do not occupy the tracks and give way to the light rail (VLT).

Buses traveling from Francisco Bicalho and the greater Tijuca area to the city center will be diverted to Rua Itapiru, in Rio Comprido and Catumbi. Buses leaving Avenida Brasil for Via Binário do Porto will have their route altered to Via Expressa, and buses leaving the South Zone for the city center will pass through Avenida Mem de Sá, in Lapa.

Medical care

The six days of parades at the Marquês de Sapucaí will mobilize thousands of professionals from a wide range of specialties. In the case of medical services, there will be 200 health professionals in seven service stations.

The Fire Department is expected to send 126 firefighters to the avenue, and the Municipal Urban Cleaning Company has mobilized 665 sanitation workers, distributed across three shifts. The Municipal Guard will provide support for traffic blockades, and has deployed 796 guards daily just for the Sambadrome.

In addition to these agencies, the Court of Justice of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the Civil Police, the Health Surveillance Agency, and the Special Coordination Office for Sexual Diversity of the city hall will deploy teams to the Sambadrome.