MIAMI (WSVN) – The Ultra Music Festival is returning to Bayfront Park this weekend, and Miami Police have announced a series of road closures and detours that will impact downtown traffic starting Thursday night.
The electronic music festival will run from Friday through Sunday. Hours are from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.
As over 165,000 attendees are set to flock to Bayfront Park to enjoy the festivities, they, as well as residents, are fearing the Miami traffic partially caused by roadway closures in the city’s most traveled areas.
Attendees who drove in for the big weekend Thursday have already experienced the traffic firsthand.
“When I got to one mile from the hotel, my GPS said 27 minutes remaining on the trip,” one man told 7News. “Absolute nightmare of traffic. We’re walking”.
Drivers like Gonzalo said they are looking forward to the festival and prepared for the heavy traffic expected.
“Oh, yeah, it sucks. But Miami traffic is always bad. But this place is special,” he said.
Traffic changes will begin at 9 p.m. Thursday and remain in effect through 7 a.m. on Monday.
Northbound traffic on Biscayne Boulevard will be diverted to the southbound lanes at Southeast First Street and return to normal at Northeast Fourth Street. Southbound traffic on Biscayne Boulevard will be detoured west at Northeast Sixth Street and continue south on North Miami Avenue.
No southbound traffic will be allowed on Biscayne Boulevard from Northeast Sixth Street.
Access to PortMiami will stay open through Northeast Fifth Street. However, police recommend drivers use the PortMiami tunnel from Interstate 395.
Other drivers like George took the opportunity to remind residents to stay patient.
“Be patient, because you know it exists. That’s why you like Miami, because of the events. So try to enjoy them, and you can go somewhere else cold if you want to spend time with other traffic,” he said.
Niyazi Korkmaz, who has lived downtown for 20 years, says the traffic that comes with the festival is a headache. He has even pushed to have the event moved in years past.
“This is the worst thing ever that a city can do here in downtown,” he said. “I went to meetings in City Hall and everything. I don’t think anybody cares.”
Bayfront Park will be closed to the public through April 9. Its dog park and playground will be closed through April 4.
Residents can view the full Downtown Resident Traffic Guide here.
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