Louis Vuitton Cup Preliminary Regatta: Traffic along Naples' seafront changes until October 5th.

Traffic along the Naples waterfront has changed in preparation for the preliminary regatta of the 2026 Louis Vuitton Cup, scheduled for September 24-27 on Via Caracciolo. The traffic control measures, which went into effect on September 7, will accompany the various stages of the event's setup, execution, and dismantling and will remain in effect until October 5.

The measure was the focus of the meeting of the City Council's Mobility Committee, chaired by Aniello Esposito, which was also attended by Councilor Edoardo Cosenza and Local Police Commander Ciro Esposito.

Cosenza emphasized the need to distinguish the September event from the Louis Vuitton America's Cup scheduled for 2027: "They are two different situations, both from a sporting and organizational point of view."

This year's event will be concentrated primarily in the Via Caracciolo area, while the 2027 edition will also involve Bagnoli, where the village will be built, with regattas scheduled for the waterfront.

For the preliminary regatta, attention will therefore be focused primarily on maintaining traffic along the waterfront, which is crucial for connections between the eastern and western parts of the city. According to the councilor, no major problems are expected, but it will be necessary to direct traffic toward the Riviera di Chiaia.

The most restrictive phase will begin on September 21, when traffic will be prohibited on Viale Anton Dohrn and Via Francesco Caracciolo, between Viale Dohrn and Piazza Vittoria. Traffic will be directed onto Riviera di Chiaia, which will be one-way towards Piazza Vittoria, also using the current bus lane.

The solution was made possible by the completion of the new tram line, which allows the reserved lane to be temporarily allocated to ordinary traffic.

The changes have been in effect since September 7th, with the suspension of the bike lane on Via Francesco Caracciolo, between Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Vittoria. One-way traffic will also be in place until September 20th toward Piazza Vittoria on Viale Anton Dohrn, between Piazza della Repubblica and Via Caracciolo, and on Via Francesco Caracciolo, between Viale Dohrn and Piazza Vittoria, with the closure of half the lane.

Once the competition is over, the gradual dismantling of the structures and the return to normal traffic flow will begin from September 28th to October 5th. Cosenza specified that the October 5th deadline is the deadline established by the ordinance, but the roads could reopen earlier if the operations are completed early.

Furthermore, starting September 27th, preferential lanes for public transport will be reinstated on the Riviera di Chiaia, which will be monitored by cameras once fully operational.

The measure is also part of the process toward the commissioning of the Sea Tram, expected by the end of the year following approval from Ansfisa. The vehicle will also be presented in the coming days in Berlin at Innotrans, the international trade fair dedicated to public transport, sporting its blue livery, the Naples logo, and several icons of the city, including a stylized effigy of Maradona.

Finally, the Local Police will be fully engaged during the regatta, with shifts organized throughout the day. Commander Ciro Esposito expressed his satisfaction with the launch of the new tram service, calling it "an important milestone for this Administration."