It will be chilly in metro Atlanta on Friday as the city basks in the warm glow of the Braves’ first World Series championship in 26 years.
Temperatures in the low to mid-50s are expected for the team’s two-leg victory parade through downtown Atlanta and Cobb County. By the time the parade kicks off at noon, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said there will be sunshine peeking through the clouds.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“As you make your plans to head out to the parade route, whether that’s downtown, Midtown or up to Cobb County, layer it up today,” he said. “A jacket or a sweatshirt. A little bit of a breeze today, too, is going to make it feel cooler through the day, but it’s going to stay dry.”
There is no rain in the forecast to complicate plans Friday, according to Monahan. Heavy traffic will be the primary concern, with more than a million Braves fans expected to throng the parade route and road closures planned to get the team from one end of the route to the other.
Several metro Atlanta school districts have canceled classes Friday.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
The celebration will kick off from the corner of Marietta and Peachtree streets near Underground Atlanta and move north on Peachtree to 10th Street. From there, the parade will travel I-75 into Cobb County, where it will continue down Cobb Parkway, beginning at Riverwood Parkway around 2 p.m. and culminating at Circle 75 Parkway.
If you were hoping to drive downtown Friday, don’t. Multiple surface streets will be closed starting at 11 a.m.
The Georgia Department of Transportation will close two ramps on the Downtown Connector beginning at 11:30 a.m. The northbound ramp to Pine and Peachtree streets and the Civic Center and the northbound ramp to 10th Street will be shut down until 1 p.m.
Multiple closures are planned along the Cobb portion of the route. Cobb Parkway will be closed between Riverwood Parkway and Akers Mill Road between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Beginning at 11 a.m., the road will be closed at I-285.
The ramps to the interstate will remain open, with all exiting traffic directed northbound, according to the agency. The Cobb Parkway exits on both I-285 east and west will be closed starting at noon.
The section of Cobb Parkway between Riverwood and Cumberland Boulevard will also close at noon. GDOT expects to begin sweeping to reopen the road at 3 p.m., and all closures are scheduled to end at 5 p.m.
The closures will impact CobbLinc transit service, according to county officials. Multiple changes are planned for several routes, and other changes are likely depending on traffic patterns.
The parade is not the only show in town Friday, however. The Braves are planning to continue their celebration with a sold-out concert at Truist Park featuring hometown hip-hop legends Ludacris and Big Boi. The party kicks off inside the stadium at 3:30 p.m. but is expected to last all day for the fans congregating in The Battery Atlanta.
During a news conference Wednesday, Atlanta police officials encouraged Braves fans to take MARTA to and from the parade since parking will be limited and surrounding streets will be blocked off by 11 a.m. “Early arrival is strongly suggested,” officials said Thursday.
MARTA’s Five Points transit station, the rail system’s central hub, is just one block away from the route’s starting point at the intersection of Peachtree and Marietta streets downtown. As it moves north, the parade will mirror MARTA’s red and gold lines, allowing plenty of access points for Braves enthusiasts to join the fun.
There are many independently owned parking lots and decks along the parade route, but finding a spot could be difficult. Restaurants and sports bars both downtown and at The Battery are also likely to be jammed.
“The parade today is going to be dry, Friday night football tonight is going to be dry, but by late tonight, early tomorrow morning, especially south of I-20, we’ll see some more clouds some sprinkles and showers lifting toward metro Atlanta,” Monahan said.
A 20% chance of rain should clear out by Saturday afternoon, he said, making the way for a nice weekend. More sunshine is in the forecast Sunday, but temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s for a wintry Sunday morning, according to Channel 2.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Delays are getting started early Friday with a crash on the city’s Southside that has blocked I-85 since before 5:45 a.m. Authorities have closed the southbound lanes of I-85 past Riverdale Road to conduct an investigation, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
The lanes remain closed at 10 a.m. In the meantime, those still headed to work or school Friday can use U.S. 29 to get around the closure.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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