DETROIT (WWJ) — The third phase of road closures is set to go into effect Monday as Downtown Detroit prepares for the NFL Draft, set to bring hundreds of thousands of people to the city April 25-27.
City officials say this phase will "have the biggest impact so far on people driving around the city," as it includes both directions of traffic on Jefferson Avenue in front of Hart Plaza.
The latest round of traffic restrictions come as crews begin work on building out the NFL Draft Experience at Hart Plaza, a free fan festival that will take place during all three days of the draft.
Here are the phase three closures, which will begin Monday, April 15 at midnight, lasting until Monday, May 6 at 5 a.m.:
• SB M-10 exit to Jefferson Avenue downtown will be closed - Exits 1A (W. Jefferson) & 1B (Larned) will remain open at this time
• Westbound Jefferson Avenue from Beaubien Street to Washington Blvd.
• Eastbound Jefferson Avenue from Washington Blvd to Randolph
• Bates Street from Jefferson Avenue to Atwater Street
• Atwater Street from Civic Center Drive to Bates Street
• Southbound Brush Street between Larned Street and Jefferson Avenue
• All Tunnel traffic must use I-375 during the M-10/Jefferson Avenue closures (NOTE: Windsor-bound traffic should use Jefferson to Randolph to access the Tunnel)
City of Detroit
The next set of NFL Draft-related closures will go into place on Saturday, April 20, while more closures will take effect closure to the event. More information can be found on the Visit Detroit website.
Officials have already completed two previous phases of road closures as the city prepares for the NFL Draft:
Phase two closures began Monday, April 8th and will last until May 5th:
• Northbound Woodward Avenue from East Congress Street to State Street
• One lane of Southbound Woodward Avenue on the West side of Campus Martius
• Eastbound Cadillac Square from Woodward Avenue to Randolph Street
• Westbound Cadillac Square from Randolph Street to Bates Street
• Bates Street from Cadillac Square to East Congress Street
Phase one closures began Friday, March 29th and will last until May 7th:
• Randolph Street between Gratiot Avenue and Fort Street
• Monroe Street between North Woodward Avenue and Randolph Street
• Farmer Street between Randolph and Bates (Garage access only)
• Bates Street (no through traffic)
As for parking, city officials say access to the Ford Underground Garage will remain open through Tuesday, April 23.
Wherever there are road closures, there are also parking restrictions to ensure adequate space for first responders getting to and around any police or medical emergencies. Authorities are encouraging drivers to pay close attention to any and all parking restriction signs along city streets.
Last Thursday officials urged fans headed to NFL Draft events to make plans for transportation and parking well in advance, as it could be "almost like Times Square on New Years Eve," with thousands descending on the city.
"If you're used to going to a Lions game or a Beyonce concert — 'I get down an hour and a half, two hours early, I park three or four blocks away and I walk' — that's not going to work," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Thursday. "That will not get you in, because this is going to be, I think, similar to those who remember the fireworks in their heyday, when if you weren't here by very early afternoon, you had no hope of driving into downtown."
There will be several options for transportation — FAST shuttles, park and ride shuttles, the QLine, SMART Bus shuttles, DDOT, Uber and Lyft rideshares, and the Detroit People Mover — to help get fans to and from the central business district.
