Construction, special events to clog roads

A hodgepodge of special events and construction projects could clog metro roads this weekend, sending motorists scrambling for alternate routes.

The special events stretch from a bicycle race through Roswell on the northside to a police memorial motorcycle ride on the southside, with the Inman Park Festival, a major rock concert and a big March of Dimes charity walk in between.

Traffic around Roswell will be impacted Sunday when most of the main roads in the historic downtown district will be closed for the 8th annual Roswell Criterium. The bike races start at 11 a.m. and are expected to wrap up by 8 p.m.

Saturday morning, more than 2,000 motorcyclists, including 250 law enforcement personnel, are expected for the 18th annual Georgia Police Memorial Ride that begins at 11 a.m. at Turner Field and heads south to Falcon Field airport in Peachtree City.

Just east of downtown, the 38th annual Inman Park Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday in a several-block area centered around Euclid and Edgewood avenues.

Numerous downtown streets will be closed Saturday morning and afternoon for the March of Dimes March for Babies, a 3.9-mile walk that begins and ends at Centennial Olympic Park. Stretches of Peachtree, West Peachtree, Spring and Juniper streets are among those that could be shut down from 5 a.m. until 5 p.m. Other March of Dimes walks will be held in Roswell, Marietta, Canton, Cumming and Duluth on Saturday.

Also in the heart of downtown, traffic could be congested Saturday night by an influx of limousines on what will be one of the busiest nights of the high school prom season and Sunday night by a Bruce Springsteen concert at Philips Arena.

Other events and construction projects that could cause traffic headaches include:

* The Gwinnett Braves play the Charlotte Knights at Gwinnett Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

* Several blocks of West Peachtree Street in Midtown will be closed from 8 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday for repaving. West Peachtree will be reduced to two lanes from 10th to 12th streets and from 17th Street to Peachtree Street, while all lanes will be shut down between 12th and 17th streets.

* Ralph McGill Boulevard will be closed between Boulevard and Glen Iris Drive from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily for repairs to a sewer line.

* The northbound and southbound HOV lanes on I-75 will be closed from just south of Moores Mill Road to Northside Drive between 9 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday. The HOV exit ramp to Northside Drive and the HOV entrance ramp from Northside Drive will also be closed while crews pour concrete for a new overhead sign.