Warsaw Air Parade Rehearsal Shuts Down Bridges and Halts Traffic

Warsaw held an aerial parade rehearsal on Friday ahead of Armed Forces Day, temporarily halting traffic across multiple bridges and disrupting public transport for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Air Parade Rehearsal Over Warsaw

On Friday, August 14, at around 12:15 PM, an aerial parade rehearsal took place over Warsaw ahead of Saturday’s Armed Forces Day celebrations. The flight of military aircraft required the temporary suspension of traffic on two bridges and in the W-Z Route area, affecting drivers, public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Traffic on the Gdański Bridge and the Śląsko-Dąbrowski Bridge was completely halted for the rehearsal starting at approximately 11:45 AM. The closures affected both cars and trams, and traffic across the crossings was restored after about 45 minutes.

Restrictions also impacted pedestrians and cyclists, who were barred from using the secured crossings during the flight, including the Magdalena Abakanowicz Footbridge. The W-Z Route was also temporarily blocked.

Municipal Warnings and Preparation

The Warsaw City Hall had previously announced that on Friday, August 14, total traffic suspensions were anticipated on the Gdański and Śląsko-Dąbrowski bridges between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM due to the aircraft rehearsal. Restrictions for pedestrians and cyclists near the bridges and footbridge were planned for a wider time frame.

The rehearsal served as one of the final preparations for the central Armed Forces Day celebrations. The military parade will begin on Saturday, August 15, at 12:00 PM along Warsaw’s Wisłostrada, with the Ministry of National Defense announcing the participation of several thousand soldiers from various branches of the armed forces and allied armies.

During the parade, residents will see equipment including Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles, Rosomak transporters, Leopard, K2, and Abrams tanks, Krab self-propelled howitzers, Rak mortars, and HIMARS and Patriot systems. The event will also feature an air parade, with the Ministry announcing the flight of Polish F-35 “Husarz” jets, F-16 aircraft, and Black Hawk, AW149, and Apache helicopters.

Upcoming Restrictions for Saturday’s Parade

Residents and drivers must prepare for renewed disruptions. On Saturday, August 15, for the actual parade, the Gdański Bridge and the Śląsko-Dąbrowski Bridge are scheduled to be completely closed to traffic from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, with changes also affecting public transit operations.

Significantly greater restrictions will apply along Wisłostrada itself, where sections directly tied to the parade’s organization will be closed from Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon, sending numerous bus and tram lines onto detours.

Central celebrations for Armed Forces Day will kick off on Saturday morning. At 10:00 AM, a ceremonial changing of the honorary guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will take place at Piłsudski Square, followed by the parade on Wisłostrada at 12:00 PM.

Further information regarding tomorrow’s parade disruptions can be found below.