People tempted to drive into central Atlanta on Saturday might want to rethink their plans: Between a 10K race, a Christmas parade and the SEC Championship, Downtown and Midtown will be no place for faint-of-heart motorists.
But people outside to enjoy the events will have sunny skies overhead, forecasters say.
According to an Atlanta Police Department news advisory of Saturday's events, the fun begins at 10 a.m. and goes until 1 p.m. with the Atlanta Beltline Eastside 10K.
According to the event website, the 10K is a run/walk showcasing undeveloped portions of the Beltline along Piedmont Park, the new Historic Fourth Ward Park and Skatepark, Freedom Park and neighborhoods along the Eastside Trail.
But participants should dress warmly, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton said.
"We'll start out chilly in the morning hours," Minton said, pointing to lows around 38 degrees Saturday morning.
Generally speaking, the race route starts in Piedmont Park, heads south to Freedom Parkway, winds around the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum and returns, ending on Kanuga Street near Monroe Drive.
Those who would prefer a more sedentary Saturday can watch the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Children’s Christmas Parade from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
The event steps off on Peachtree Street near Baker Street, heads south to Marietta Street, then turns right on Marietta and ends at Centennial Olympic Park Drive. MARTA said it would reroute bus route Nos. 1, 32, 51, 110, 155 and 186 to accommodate the event.
More information about the parade is available at its website.
And then there's football.
The SEC FanFare begins at 1 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday at the Georgia World Congress Center. It’s prelude to the SEC Championship.
Saturday's festivities should be met with blue skies, Minton said.
"We're looking at a few clouds over the area Saturday afternoon, but mostly clear skies," she said. Temperatures will climb to 62 degrees by the afternoon.
Expect the area around the Georgia Dome to be one enormous traffic crunch as tens of thousands of UGA and LSU fans converge on the stadium for the 4 p.m. Saturday kickoff of the Championship game. For complete pregame coverage, go to: www.ajc.com/sports/uga/
Police urged visitors to consider using MARTA. The Georgia Dome is served by the MARTA Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center rail station of the Green and Blue lines.
Another sporting event will draw crowds outside the Perimeter as Kennesaw State University hosts the Women's College Cup, the Final Four of NCAA women's soccer. The semifinals are at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, with the championship game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The DOT has a relatively light schedule of roadwork on metro interstates, with the most significant lane closures on I-285 and I-85 in Fulton County.
Several lanes of I-285 eastbound will be closed near Riverdale Road from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday; and one or two westbound lanes will be closed between midnight Saturday at 6 a.m. Monday.
On I-85, northbound lane closures will occur from Flat Shoals Road to Old National Highway at various times between 9 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
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