Afternoon rush-hour traffic was a nightmare Wednesday as traffic along the heavily traveled Downtown Connector was blocked for the passage of Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan.

Then, traffic was blocked a second time Wednesday night when Ryan’s motorcade headed south to the airport.

During rush hour, entrance ramps along I-75 northbound were shut down to allow the Wisconsin congressman to travel to the Cobb Energy Centre for a fund-raising event.

The blockages caused major tie-ups along the Connector and on surface streets leading to I-75/85.

The Cobb Energy event started at 7 p.m. Supporters who wanted to attend a reception paid $500. The cost for a photo with Ryan was $10,000, and it cost $25,000 to sit in on a round-table discussion.

Earlier in the day Ryan was in Ohio, where he promised that a Romney-Ryan administration would protect safety-net programs for the poor while overhauling benefits for wealthier people who might not necessarily need Social Security in their later years.

Around 8 p.m., interstates along Ryan’s route from Cobb to the airport were again blocked.