Will Paris be ready for the Olympics?

The 2024 Olympic Games are just over two months away. Held in Paris for the first time in a hundred years, it is also a showcase for the so-called “new” Olympic model – requiring as little new infrastructure as possible to reduce the burden and expense of hosting Games. In fact, more than 75% of this year’s Games venues are existing stadiums or structures.

But despite this existing infrastructure, there is still a mad dash to the finish line to be ready for opening day on July 26. Here’s what we can share following a recent trip to the city.

Construction of temporary stadium

The majority of temporary stadium construction takes place around the city center, including a 30,000-seat venue on Place de la Concorde, a 12,000-seat stadium near the Eiffel Tower and an 8,000-seat venue at Les Invalides.

It is these temporary structures that are lagging the most. According to local sources, some of these temporary facilities will require construction work up to a few minutes before the events take place there. Among these, it was on the Place de la Concorde, home of 3×3 basketball, breakdancing, BMX freestyle and skateboarding events, that we waited the longest. (These are also the ones pictured in this article).

For the triathlon, there is minor work on the Port Alexandre III bridge. (It’s also the location of the swimming marathon and the finish of the cycling time trial.) The location is pretty much set.

Larger infrastructure projects and their impacts

Coinciding with the Olympics, two major public works projects could impact spectators and athletes alike.

The first is the expansion of the subway system. During the bidding process, a complete overhaul of the metro, including the so-called “Grand Paris Express” system, was to be completed in time for the 2024 Games. This plan was abandoned in 2018. Instead, the project A major one expected to be completed in time for the Games is the expansion of Line 14 (or, as our daughter called it, the Purple Line).

The 14 is considered essential to the mission of athletes and spectators. The expansion sees the 14 extend to Paris-Orly airport and connect to the Stade de France and the new Saint-Denis aquatic center. Construction is underway, with new control systems in place on the trains while we’re in town. The driverless trains had to be equipped with new software to manage the extra capacity and nearly 17 kilometers of extra track. The expansion is expected to officially launch in June, just a month before the Games.

The other major works concern the quality of the water of the Seine. Many media outlets have reported on the poor water quality of the river, which will host swimming marathons and triathlons. And it’s true, the Seine experienced water quality problems this spring.

This all goes back to how sewer and stormwater are treated in older systems such as those used in Paris; namely, sewer and stormwater pipes are shared. When it rains too much, wastewater treatment plants can’t handle all the extra flow. With nowhere to go, they are then evacuated from the system. In this case, it is directly in the Seine. This is no different from the systems of many older cities in the United States located near water. If it rains a lot, water quality problems arise in places otherwise suitable for swimming.

The climate will contribute to the water quality of the Seine; Precipitation amounts decrease significantly during the summer months in Paris, with July typically receiving less than 2.5 inches of rain during the month. That said, Paris also completed construction and opened a 13.2 million gallon water basin to store sewage and stormwater in case of flooding and prevent its discharge into the Seine. It is one of the last essential elements of a 1.4 billion euro project to make the Seine swimmable for the Olympics and beyond.

Will he be ready?

For athletes, certainly.

For the spectators? As with most Olympics, the most likely outcome will be mild frustration at the venues. But between basic infrastructure, temporary stadiums and subway improvements, there should also be a quality viewing experience.