UPDATE: Crews have been working overnight to pick up Midtown barricades following Thursday’s presidential debate and the Copa America soccer match.
On Friday morning, 10th Street remains closed in front of McCamish Pavilion and CNN as of 6:15 a.m. That is between Fowler Street and Techwood Drive, but the bridge over the Downtown Connector has reopened.
Commuters needing to get around the blockage should use 14th Street as an alternate, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Original story continues below: Presidential debate, soccer match, rolling roadblocks to impact Atlanta traffic
Road closures have begun near CNN Studios on the Techwood campus in Midtown ahead of tonight’s debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Traffic could be much heavier than normal today.
The debate starts at 9 p.m. but candidates arrive hours earlier, with massive law enforcement teams comprised of the Secret Service and state and local law enforcement agencies working in concert to ensure security.
Meanwhile, the Copa América game between the U.S. National Team and Panama will be held at 6 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and is expected to bring thousands of soccer fans downtown.
A number of streets will be closed including Tenth Street from State Street to Spring Street. Portions of Fowler Street will be closed as well.
Rolling interstate roadblocks on opposite ends of town are likely. Biden is expected to land at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb County. Trump has come through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on recent visits.
Georgia Tech cautioned students and employees that the debate will impact streets, parking and bus routes on its nearby Atlanta campus as well as bring more police to the area.
Reporters and news media will set up camp in the school’s basketball arena, McCamish Pavilion. That will require the closure of nearby parking lots.
The campus bus system will be rerouted in some areas. A Georgia Tech spokesman said there are no scheduled changes to summer classes, but that school officials are “staying watchful and flexible” and could switch to online classes if needed.
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