Prepare For Midtown Weekend Road Closures

The weekend’s almost here, but with it will come significant road closures in and around the Midtown area. Soapbox racing down 10th Street and Atlanta BeltLine work along Ponce de Leon Avenue will leave area motorists looking for detours.

After a three-year absence, the Red Bull Soapbox Race has rolled into town in anticipation for Saturday's big event down 10th next to Piedmont Park.

Beginning Thursday, June 7, Midtown road closures will commence beginning with the street parking lanes on the east and west sides of Charles Allen Drive between 8th and 10th streets.

Then on Friday, June 8 beginning at 9:30 a.m., 10th will start closing in gradual stages. First, it will shut down between Charles Allen and Myrtle Street after the morning rush hour. The north side lane from Monroe Drive to Charles Allen will close at that time too. 10th from Myrtle to Monroe will close after evening rush hour at about 7:30 p.m.

These streets will be closed to everyone except residential traffic on Saturday, June 9:

• Argonne Avenue between 8th and 10th
• Taft Avenue between 8th and 10th
• Charles Allen between 8th and 10th
• 9th Street between Myrtle and Charles Allen

Anyone who cannot access their driveways during this time may park at the teachers' parking lot for Grady High School on 8th.

All streets should reopen by Sunday, June 10 at noon, although Red Bull officials have indicated they are targeting a 6 a.m. opening.

Nearby, a portion of Ponce de Leon Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic the next two weekends for the BeltLine's ongoing construction of the Eastside Trail project.

The section of road between Ponce de Leon Place and the Midtown Place Shopping Center (across from Ponce City Market) will be closed from Friday, June 8 at 9 p.m. until Monday, June 11 at 5 a.m.

All vehicular access points to the shops at Midtown Place, the Kroger shopping center, Ponce Place and Ford Factory Lofts will be open and accessible during this road closure. Detour signs and off duty-police officers will be provided to direct motorists.

This weekend, crews will disassemble the scaffolding near the bridge that has allowed workers to safely remove lead-based paint and make structural repairs to the bridge over the past two months.

Currently under construction, the Eastside Trail spans more than two miles from the southeast tip of Piedmont Park to Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward neighborhoods.

The project, which includes a 14-foot-wide, multi-use concrete trail that is to be used for walking, biking, running and skating, is the next major component of the BeltLine slated to open to the public.

The Eastside Trail is the first part of the trail system to be built within the old rail corridor, which will eventually connect 45 neighborhoods.