Marathon Could Create Traffic, Parking Nightmare In City
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you plan on driving into the city over the next few days, keep two things in mind, patience and planning.
"We have over 25,000 runners on race weekend, so that's going to come with a lot of traffic and they are all going to be loading into the city really early," says Pittsburgh Marathon Race Director Patrice Matamoros.
Marathon road closures will begin Friday at 6 p.m. on the Boulevard of the Allies between Commonwealth Place and Stanwix Street.
The finish line will be near the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette building.
On Saturday morning, streets downtown and on the North Shore will be off limits from 7 a.m. until noon because of the 5K and Kids Marathon.
Then on Sunday, race organizers say drivers in the city can expect some major delays.
"Sunday, look out! You want to be in the city early, we're telling runners get in two hours early, just because we are expecting delays, we are expecting traffic," said Maramoros.
The first scheduled closure will kick in at 3 a.m. on Liberty Avenue from Sixth to Commonwealth, which is the starting point of the marathon.
Then, between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., all of the streets along the course will be shut down - streets in neighborhoods from the Strip District to Bloomfield.
And don't even think about driving in or around the Golden Triangle.
Parking is going to be a whole other issue. The no parking signs are already up, and you won't be able to park at the metered spots in the city.
So, before you get into town, make sure you have at least a few options.
"You need to have a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C," said Matamoros. "I'd say if you can park in the North Shore, it might really alleviate a lot of traffic and congestion, you would also be able to utilize the T."
All of the roads will be gradually reopened Sunday. The last, near Point State Park, should be good to go around 2:30 p.m.
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