Busy traffic weekend downtown with parade, SEC Championship game

Drivers could face daunting traffic heading into downtown Atlanta on Saturday. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Drivers could face daunting traffic heading into downtown Atlanta on Saturday. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Heading out this weekend in downtown Atlanta?

A piece of advice: Plan your route accordingly.

Expect weekend traffic to be worse than normal with the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Christmas parade and SEC football championship game both scheduled for Saturday.

The parade is expected to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Peachtree and 16th streets and end about noon at the intersection of Peachtree and 5th streets. It will be televised on Channel 2 Action News.

Alabama coach Nick Saban waves to fans after his team’s win over Florida in last year’s SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. The teams meet again Saturday for the title. (Credit: AJC file)

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MARTA bus routes 27, 36, 37 and 110 will be redirected until 1 p.m. to accommodate street closures, spokeswoman Alisa Jackson said.

Downtown streets will become even more crowded as out-of-towners head into the city for the Alabama-Florida matchup in the SEC Championship game. The game starts at 4 p.m. at the Georgia Dome. It will be televised by CBS.

At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, the largest holiday parade in the Southeast will once again transform Peachtree...

Posted by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta on Friday, November 25, 2016