Atlanta drivers should be prepared for some serious delays downtown Sunday, as several streets including Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Northside Drive are closed for the Super Bowl.
Volume on metro Atlanta’s interstates is relatively light, although roads around Mercedes-Benz Stadium are already packed with cars as people make their way to the game.
Credit: Atlanta Super Bowl LIII Host Committee
Credit: Atlanta Super Bowl LIII Host Committee
MARTA parking lots began to fill up as fans headed to the stadium; the agency said the lots at several stations including Hamilton E. Holmes and Inman Park were totally full by 4 p.m.
More than 1 million people were expected to pour into the city by Sunday afternoon.
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Northside Drive closed Saturday night between Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in advance of the main event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The road is scheduled to reopen Monday morning.
Authorities also shut down several blocks of Peachtree Street near the Fox Theatre early Friday morning. The street will remain closed through 5 p.m. Sunday.
Blockades were put in place Friday morning to close Peachtree between Ponce de Leon Avenue and Fifth Street while crews prepared for the NFL Honors program at the Fox Theatre on Saturday night. Ponce de Leon Avenue and Third Street are also closed between West Peachtree Street and Peachtree Street.
Juniper Street, Piedmont Avenue and Spring Street are the best alternates, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
That’s in addition to the road closures drivers have been contending with all week.
MORE: Some road closures already in place, more to come
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive between Northside Drive and Centennial Olympic Park Drive, and Andrew Young International Boulevard between Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive are closed until Feb. 7. Baker Street between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Luckie Street is closed until Feb. 8.
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Mitchell Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Elliot Street, and Mangum Street between Markham and Foundry streets will also be closed until Feb. 7.
To alleviate some of the congestion, the Georgia Department of Transportation plans to remotely manage traffic signals to identify “blind spots, bottlenecks, and areas needing additional support,” according to the agency. GDOT will change stoplights as needed to keep traffic moving.
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Atlanta police, along with just about every other local and state agency, say MARTA is still the best option for those headed downtown to take in Super Bowl festivities. The transit agency is now providing 24-hour, continuous service through Monday.
The Atlanta Streetcar suspended service Saturday due to traffic, but officials announced Sunday morning that it resumed normal service.
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