Authorities in Paris have approved plans to pedestrianise a stretch of the capital’s historic centre along the left bank of the River Seine despite concerns it will cause traffic problems.

The area is close to many of Paris’s most-visited attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre.

The 2.3-kilometre stretch between the Alma Bridge and the Musee d’Orsay will be pedestrianised over four hectares by the spring of 2013, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said in a statement.

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