How Super Bowl LII Will Affect Downtown Minneapolis Workers
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Hundreds of thousands of people commute to downtown Minneapolis each day.
But that commute is going to get a bit sticky over the next month. As we get closer to Super Bowl LII, streets immediately around U.S. Bank Stadium are closing.
And later this month - it's going to get worse. Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield has some advice on how to navigate through the hustle and bustle.
Amidst the downtown Minneapolis skyline is where more than 160,000 spend their work days.
So how do they navigate the huge crowds and traffic coming our way in a few months? Here are some ideas.
The hype, the excitement, America's most popular sporting event is coming to our backyard. For Aubrey Hollnagel of Bloomington, it was almost a dream scenario.
"My ideal situation would be Packers in the Super Bowl, in my new hometown with Justin Timberlake as the halftime show because those are all like my favorite things," Hollnagel said.
Well, the Packers won't be here, but more than one million people will. And she, like so many, work right downtown.
"I've taken a couple of days of PTO in case it's going to be a big effect on me. There's a lot of unknown still," Hollnagel said.
Some event organizers say some businesses are considering allowing more people to work from home in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, because the roads will be extra active.
"We've tried to make this as easy as possible for people to come be a part of this, whether you want to be part of the festivities or whether you work or live downtown," Andrea Mokros, vice president of communications with the Super Bowl Host Committee, said.
The streets immediately surrounding the stadium will be closed from here on out. Gameday weekend, some farther removed streets will close, including the 6th street exit from Interstate 94. But there are options.
"Transit will be running more frequently so you should be able to get a bus or a train much more quickly than you normally would," Mokros said.
She insists that even though the fun is coming to town - work can still go on.
Another big option: Change your hours. Most of the events are from 3:30 p.m. and on, so if you can shift your work hours a little earlier, that should work, too.
And starting next week, they will launch an app where you can secure a parking space ahead of time.
