Metro Atlanta drivers can expect heavy traffic and detours Friday in downtown Atlanta and Cobb County during the Atlanta Braves World Series parade and celebration.
Heavy traffic will be the primary concern, with more than a million Braves fans expected to throng the parade route and road closures planned to get the team from one end of the route to the other.
In downtown Atlanta, roads will be closed near the parade route along Peacthree Street. The parade begins at corner of Marietta and Peachtree streets near Underground Atlanta, ending the Atlanta portion on Peachtree at 10th Street. Downtown road closings are expected about 11 a.m.
Some exits on the Downtown Connector (I-75/85) will also be closed before and during the parade downtown.
From downtown, the parade will travel I-75 into Cobb County, where it will continue down Cobb Parkway, beginning at Riverwood Parkway around 2 p.m.. It will end at Circle 75 Parkway near The Battery and Truist Park.
Follow live updates from AJC journalists along the parade routes in Atlanta and Cobb
The Georgia Department of Transportation has planned multiple closures along the Cobb portion of the route. Cobb Parkway will be closed between Riverwood Parkway and Akers Mill Road between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Beginning at 11 a.m., the road will be closed at I-285.
The ramps to the interstate will remain open, with all exiting traffic directed northbound, according to the agency. The Cobb Parkway exits on both I-285 east and west will be closed starting at noon.
The section of Cobb Parkway between Riverwood and Cumberland Boulevard will also close at noon. GDOT expects to begin sweeping to reopen the road at 3 p.m., and all closures are scheduled to end at 5 p.m.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
The Braves are planning to continue their celebration with a sold-out concert at Truist Park featuring hometown hip-hop legends Ludacris and Big Boi. The party kicks off inside the stadium at 3:30 p.m. but is expected to last all day for the fans congregating in The Battery Atlanta.
During a news conference Wednesday, Atlanta police officials encouraged Braves fans to take MARTA to and from the parade since parking will be limited and surrounding streets will be blocked off by 11 a.m. “Early arrival is strongly suggested,” officials said Thursday.
MARTA’s Five Points transit station, the rail system’s central hub, is just one block away from the route’s starting point at the intersection of Peachtree and Marietta streets downtown. As it moves north, the parade will mirror MARTA’s red and gold lines, allowing plenty of access points for Braves enthusiasts to join the fun.
There are many independently owned parking lots and decks along the parade route, but finding a spot could be difficult. Restaurants and sports bars both downtown and at The Battery are also likely to be jammed.
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Brian O’Shea contributed to this article
