A day after all hell broke loose on the highway, traffic heading into SunTrust Park ahead of the Atlanta Braves’ new home feels a little bit like a gift from heaven.
Believe it or not, things aren’t terrible.
Of course it doesn’t take much to jack things up, for the moment Braves fans are reporting they’ve been able to get to the stadium without much hassle.
One fan posited that motorists spooked by yesterday’s fire then collapse at a portion of I-85 stayed put, removing some volume from the roads.
Cobb County didn't announced any changes to parking or traffic-routing plans as a result of the 85 disaster. The team urged fans to come extra early and stressed its parking advice.
"Due to the bridge incident on I-85 in Atlanta, we encourage our fans to plan before they leave for the game," the Braves said in a statement. "Traffic patterns in Atlanta will be adjusted for everyone, so please listen to local authorities as they direct you around the metro area. Also, we encourage all fans to purchase their parking before they leave today at braves.com/parking and trust (traffic app) Waze to get you directly to your parking lot."
Many fans heeded that guidance and arrived super early. This fan arrived well ahead of the first pitch and didn’t appear to have much trouble parking.
MORE:
Your guide to stress-free parking at SunTrust Park
I-85 bridge collapse quickly becomes political
How to get to SunTrust Park: Directions, parking, MARTA and Uber
Alyssa Barnett-Schott and her partner and daughter are eager to check out the new stadium. They're leaving Decatur at 4 p.m. to make it in time for first pitch.
“Luckily I did not have to work today. I took the day off,” said Barnett-Schott, who works in Gwinnett County. “We’re going to avoid downtown as much as possible.”
Before the Braves moved, they could make it to Turner Field in 15 minutes, an impossibility regardless of traffic conditions to the new stadium. Throw in a regionally impactful traffic disaster and .. who knows?
“We did get a parking pass for tonight,” she said. “Ordinarily we would be public transportation people. I really have no idea what to expect.”
For the moment, the traffic nightmare many commuters may have been dreading doesn’t appear to be coming true.
But again. It’s early. It’s Atlanta, where highways can turn to parking lots (or even an inferno) in an instant.
Stick with the WSB traffic team for the latest updates. You can listen to the live stream here and download the mobile app here.
About the Author
