Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

City announces road closures, public transit for Made in America festival

The closures will occur in phases.

A scene from the festival in 2013.
A scene from the festival in 2013.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / File Photograph
    by Jan Hefler
    Published 

The mayor's office has announced a series of road closures before and during the two-day 2017 Budweiser Made in America Music Festival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway over the Labor Day weekend.

Several road closures along the Parkway and in sections of Fairmount began Sunday, and the number of street closings and parking restrictions will increase each day to support venue construction and preparations. The closed roads will reopen before morning rush hour next Tuesday, following the festival, but a few parking and travel lane restrictions will remain in place until around noon that day.

"Delays can be expected during the course of the event construction setup and during festival days," the mayor's office said in a statement.  "Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes and allow for extra driving time…. Please refrain from double-parking, which creates congestion, limits traffic flow and is illegal."

Closures and other restrictions follow:

Now until noon Sept. 5 

  1. Two lanes of Eakins Oval closed in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

  2. Spring Garden Street closed between Pennsylvania Avenue and the Parkway

Tuesday, Aug. 29, until noon Sept. 5

  1. Parking prohibited on Pennsylvania from 22nd Street to 23rd Street (south side) and Park Towne Place from 22nd to 24th Street (north side)

Wednesday, Aug. 30, from 10 a.m. to Sept. 5, at 5 a.m. 

  1. The inner lanes of the Parkway closed between 20th Street and Eakins Oval

  2. Cross traffic on numbered streets will be permitted

Thursday, Aug. 31, to  Sept. 5, at 5 a.m. 

  1. 22nd reduced to one running lane between Pennsylvania and the Parkway

Friday, Sept. 1, 10 a.m., to Sept. 5, at 5 a.m. 

  1. Outer lanes of the  Parkway closed between 20th and Eakins Oval

  2. 23rd closed between Pennsylvania and the Parkway

  3. 22nd closed between Pennsylvania and Park Towne Place

  4. 21st Street closed between Pennsylvania and Winter Street

  5. Kelly Drive outbound closed from the Parkway to Fairmount Avenue

  6. Outer lane of MLK Drive closed adjacent to Paine's Park

  7. Due to the closure of the outer lanes on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, traffic headed inbound (to Center City) from the Spring Garden Street Bridge or Martin Luther King Drive must exit Eakins Oval on the 24th Street ramp.  Inbound traffic on Kelly Drive must exit at Fairmount Avenue.

Sat., Sept. 2, at 10 a.m., to Sept. 5, at 5 a.m.

The full extent of road closures will be implemented and remain through the duration of the event.  The road closures will include the entire width of the Parkway, beginning at 20th and extending through Eakins Oval and behind the Art Museum.   The rear of the Art Museum will be accessible via Fairmount Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, and 25th Street.

The rest of the closures are:

  1. 21st between Winter and Spring Garden

  2. 22nd between Race Street and Fairmount Avenue

  3. 23rd between the Parkway and Fairmount Avenue

  4. 24th between Fairmount Avenue and Pennsylvania

  5. Spring Garden between 20th and the Parkway, including the tunnel

  6. The Spring Garden Street Bridge.  The Mayor's Office said the city hopes to keep this bridge open during Art Museum operating hours on Sept. 2 and 3, from 10 a.m.  to 5 p.m., but may be forced to close the bridge during periods of heavy pedestrian traffic.

  7. Kelly Drive, between 23rd and Fairmount Avenue

  8. Martin Luther King Drive between the Falls Bridge and the Parkway

  9. Pennsylvania between Hamilton Street and 25th

  10. Pennsylvania between 20th and and 21st  streets.

  11. Park Towne Place between 22nd & 24th.

The mayor's office also released information on public transit and the parking that will be available during the music festival.

Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines: Local train service will operate on a normal weekend schedule Saturday and Sunday.  Race-Vine and City Hall stations on the Broad Street Line and 15th Street station on the Market-Frankford Line provide walking access to the festival gates on the Parkway. The Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines will offer overnight service as usual on Saturday.

Regional Rail: Late-night train service will be available on Saturday and Sunday departing from Jefferson, Suburban, and 30th Street stations. Special schedules will be posted in stations and are also available at www.septa.org/events.  If the concert runs late on Saturday or Sunday, these trains will be held for approximately 20 minutes after the concert ends. Parking is free at all SEPTA-owned Regional Rail lots on weekends. Parking lot location information is available at  www.septa.org/parking.

Trolley: Routes 10, 11, 13, 15, 34, and 36 offer service to and from the concert, with 19th and 22nd Street stations providing walking access to the Parkway.  Route 15 connects with Broad Street and Market-Frankford service at Girard Avenue.

Bus Detours: 

Due to road closures, Bus Routes 7, 32, 33, 38, 43 and 48 will be re-routed around the Parkway for concert set-up, the concert and clean-up.

  1. Route 43 will be detoured from 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 28 until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

  2. Route 38 will be detoured from 10 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 30 until 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5.

  3. Routes 7, 32 and 48 will be detoured from 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 31 until 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5.

  4. Route 33 will be detoured from 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 1 until 5 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Customized Community Transportation (CCT):  Request for trips to and from the Made in America Concert will be reserved to the rendezvous point located at 20th and Spring Garden Streets immediately outside the area closed to traffic. This location was established in prior years to drop off and pick up customers who schedule trips within the affected area or to and from the event.

SEPTA Customer Service will extend its hours Saturday and Sunday, with phone and online agents available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Customer service can be reached at 215-580-7800 and directly on Twitter @septa_social. For more information on SEPTA and NJ Transit routes and schedules during Labor Day weekend, visit www.septa.org or call 215-580-7800, and www.njtransit.org or call 973-275-5555.

PHLASH has stops at 22 locations, including many in Center City.  Find live updates at RidePhillyPHLASH.com and visit www.phillyphlash.com for a schedule and route details.

Rideshare: Taxi, Uber, and Lfyt drop-off and pick-up locations are along the 2100 block of Spring Garden and the 1900 block of Arch Street

Commercial off-street parking lots and garages are located on or near the Parkway.  Contact individual facilities in advance for rates and availability, or visit the Philadelphia Parking Authority's website at www.philapark.org for a list of parking options.