NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
28 July 2006

PRIDE PARADE FORCES CLOSURE OF MANY DOWNTOWN STREETS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 8 A.M. TO NOON

Many downtown streets will be closed throughout Saturday morning to accommodate the Pride Festival Parade, Mayor Stephen R. Reed said today, and motorists are urged to avoid the downtown area if they are not attending the parade or festival. Streets will begin closing at 8 a.m. for the 10 a.m. to Noon parade, including Front Street from Forster south to Paxton Street, which will dramatically impact westbound traffic, as well as motorists trying to access I-83 in south Harrisburg.

The parade will form-up in the 200 block of North Street, proceed west to Front Street, and then south on Front Street to Paxton Street, where it will disband into Riverfront Park in the Pride Festival grounds at S. Front and Vine Streets.

Because the parade is also using S. Front Street from Market to Paxton for its route, the normal detour routes used for Front Street closure traffic will be shut down, thus causing all traffic to be directed east to Cameron Street or across the State Street Bridge.

All side streets between Front and 2nd Street from Paxton Street north to Forster Street will be closed, including to the Market Street Bridge, meaning no westbound traffic will be permitted out of the downtown, except at Forster for the Harvey Taylor Bridge. Access from the downtown to the I-83 ramps in South Harrisburg will also be shut down, so motorists will either need to use the S.13th Street ramps, at 13th and Paxton Streets, or go to the West Shore and use S. Front Street through Wormleysburg and Lemoyne. Inbound traffic using I-83 will be unaffected.

Intermittent traffic flows will be used by police on 2nd Street at North Street, to allow for traffic to go north to Forster Street, and at Front and Market Streets, for traffic coming into the city from the West Shore. The Market Street Bridge will be open for City Island traffic as well.

Front Street will close at Forster Street at 8 a.m., with side streets between 2nd and Front Streets slated to begin closing sometime after 9 a.m. While the parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. to Noon, police expect streets will be reopening well before Noon given the expected number of parade units and participants.

City officials urge motorists who normally use Front Street or other downtown streets on Saturday mornings to find an alternative route until after Noon, when all streets should be reopened. Emergency vehicles coming into the city to PinnacleHealth Hospital will be given access though parade route streets.