Routes have been confirmed for three major World Youth Day events:

• The Journey of the Cross and Icon on Monday 14 July

• The Papal ‘boat-a-cade’ on Sydney Harbour on Thursday 17 July followed by

• The Papal motorcade on Thursday 17 July.

On Monday 14 July the Cross and the Icon, which has been travelling around Australia since July last year, will journey into the middle of the city after 14 days in metropolitan Sydney.

The Cross and Icon will travel to the CBD on a Manly ferry and then travels along Pitt Street to Belmore Park.

This event is expected to draw significant crowds following the Cross and Icon, so for safety reasons some of our major roads will be temporarily closed.

Pitt Street will be completely closed to through traffic from 11am until 2pm and its intersections will temporarily close while the procession travels south to Belmore Park outside Central Station

On Thursday 17 July the Papal ‘boat-a-cade’ on the Harbour and motorcade through the city will also bring large crowds into the CBD.

All of the CBD will be affected by road closures and special event clearways. In the morning the Pope will also travel to North Sydney to pray at Mary MacKillop Chapel and attend meetings at Kirribilli.

In the afternoon the boat-a-cade will start at Rose Bay and cruise via Farm Cove and Sydney Cove (Circular Quay) before travelling under the Harbour Bridge for the arrival of His Holiness at Barangaroo at East Darling Harbour.

At Barangaroo, the Pope will be formally welcomed at a ceremony where he will address more than 140,000 people. He will then transfer to his Popemobile and drive along Hickson Road and George Street before turning into Bridge, Loftus, Alfred and Macquarie Streets to arrive at the Opera House forecourt.

The motorcade will then journey through the Botanic Gardens to Mrs Macquaries Chair, along Art Gallery Road through The Domain, along Hospital Road then Shakespeare Place and Macquarie Street to St Mary’s Cathedral.

The route is very extensive and coupled with being a normal business day for 180,000 CBD, people need to plan ahead.

Up to 225,000 registered pilgrims and members of the public are expected to line the Sydney Harbour and motorcade routes to welcome the Pope to Sydney.