Dan Uggla is swatting home runs. Michael Bourn is swiping bases. Craig Kimbrel is striking out everyone. This might be the most exciting Atlanta Braves team in recent memory. The team is winning and the Braves are in the middle of a great pennant race. Fans are flocking to Turner Field to see their hometown team. It's a great time to be a Braves fan. Unless it's 6:35 on a Thursday evening and you have tickets for a 7:05 Braves game and traffic is gridlocked getting to Turner Field. As a sports fan in Atlanta, you really have only one thing to worry about. Traffic.
Getting to Turner Field in a car can be a exhaustive experience. I'm here to help. I'm going to share with you my super-duper secret shortcut to get to your favorite sporting venue. Some of you that already know this shortcut are going to be really mad at me, but what can I say? I want to help others.
Getting to a weeknight Braves game can be extremely frustrating. Fans heading to Turner Field have to deal with rush hour traffic at the same time. As a result, it can be an awful ride, especially on the Downtown Connector (I-75/85). The Turner Field exits are close to the I-20 exits, so Braves fans and commuters trying to get on I-20 both are forced into the far right lanes of the Downtown Connector. As a result it can take forever to get to the stadium. I'm going to help you avoid that jam.
Luckily I never have to deal with that congestion getting to the game. Back when I used to do the Braves pre and post game shows on the radio I found a great shortcut to avoid the delays. Here's what you do:
- Take Northside Drive south past the Georgia Dome.
- Take a left onto McDaniel Street.
- Take McDaniel Street south to Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard.
- Take a left onto Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard.
- Go east on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard.
- Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard will take right to the west side of Turner Field
There are plenty of parking lots along Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. From there it's a quick walk underneath I-75/85 and boom you are at Turner Field.
I have taken this route ever since Turner Field opened and after going to hundreds of games, I've never missed a first pitch. Even better, getting home is a lot easier from this side of Turner Field. You can expect brief delays leaving the parking lot but once you are back on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard it's a quick shot back home with minimal delay. Hopefully after a Braves victory.
Next week I'll share with you my shortcut to the airport so you'll never miss a flight again.
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