Traffic has been every bit as bad as expected near the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek this week for the 93rd PGA Championship.
And it's likely to be just as bad this weekend.
"While we still have tickets available for all three weekend days, the numbers are limited," PGA spokesman Robin Applebaum said.
That means crowds of up to 50,000 a day will be flooding the club on Medlock Bridge Road, just north of the Chattahoochee River. The area around the country club has already seen a share of snags beyond the usual heavy commuter traffic.
Parking anywhere near the club is restricted to permitted parking -- staff, credentialed volunteers and press. That hasn't stopped some from trying to enter the parking field across from the club, which further stalls traffic, Applebaum said. Free parking is available at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth, where some 100 motor coaches have been shuttling fans to the tournament.
Travel on Medlock Bridge near the club is being discouraged.
"We would not recommend that at all, unless you are a person who really enjoys sitting in traffic," said Georgia DOT spokesman Mark McKinnon.
The traffic snags extend beyond Medlock Bridge Road, a major north-south commuter thoroughfare. Other major commuter routes in the area are backed up more than usual, especially those that intersect Medlock Bridge.
State Bridge Road, an east-west artery connecting Gwinnett County to north Fulton, is particularly affected. In addition to its regular traffic load, it serves as the last leg of the route the shuttle buses are taking from the Gwinnett Center.
The traffic signal has been adjusted to give more time to traffic on Medlock Bridge and longer for left turns off of westbound State Bridge south toward the golf club. The adjustments make for longer waits on eastbound State Bridge, where cars are backing up for more than a mile during afternoon rush hour.
Signals have also been adjusted farther north at Abbotts Bridge and McGinnis Ferry roads, both heavily traveled routes.
The tournament has provided a bonus for commuters on McGinnis Ferry, where a road-widening project has kept traffic in check for more than a year. Crews scrambled to complete the final resurfacing work a week before the tournament, freeing up four lanes.
"It's shocking how bad that road was for years," said Alan Wyatt, owner of Luxe Home Interiors at the corner of Medlock Bridge and McGinnis Ferry. "Now, it doesn't matter if you're there at rush hour or not, there's just not that much traffic."
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