All-Star Traffic Guide for this Weekend

Nearly 125,000 people are expected to flood downtown Indianapolis this weekend for the NBA All-Star Game and festivities, meaning a considerable amount of patience will be required for any driver tackling the massive amount of vehicular and foot traffic in Mile Square. It’s good to plan ahead. It’ll help. Really.

Closures? We’re getting several.

Downtown Street Closures:

From now until Monday, before morning rush hour

• Southern half of Monument Circle, including the “southern spoke,” or S. Meridian St.
• Delaware St. from South St. to Maryland St. (adjacent to Gainbridge Fieldhouse)
• EB-Georgia St. from Capitol Ave. to Pennsylvania St. (north/south through traffic is permissible)

Day Specific Closures:

Friday, February 16

10:00am – 11:00pm

• WB-Georgia St. from Illinois St. to Capitol Ave.

5:00pm – approximately 11:00pm

• Pennsylvania St. from Washington St. to South St.
• WB-Georgia St. from Pennsylvania St. to Meridian St.
• Maryland St. from Meridian St. to Delaware St.
• South St. from Missouri St. to Capitol Ave.

Lane restrictions near Lucas Oil Stadium

• Capitol Ave. – Only two left lanes open to traffic.
• Missouri St. – Only two left lanes open to traffic.

Saturday, February 17

8am – 11pm

• WB-Georgia St. from Pennsylvania St. to Meridian St. (closure extended to Capitol Ave. at 10am).

8am – 2pm

• Pennsylvania St. from Washington St. to South St.
• Maryland St. from Meridian St. to Delaware St.

4:30pm – 11pm

• South St. from Missouri St. to Capitol Ave.

Near Lucas Oil Stadium

• Capitol Ave. – Only two left lanes open to traffic.
• S. Missouri St. – Only two left lanes open to traffic.

Sunday, February 18

10:00am – 9:00pm

• WB-Georgia St. from Illinois St. to Capitol Ave.

4:00pm – approximately 11:00pm

• WB-Georgia St. from Pennsylvania St. to Meridian St.
• Pennsylvania St. from Washington St. to South St.
• Maryland St. from Meridian St. to Delaware St.

Routes ’round the City

Driving in the southern half of Mile Square will be problematic from now until late Sunday night. Thankfully, Indy and the NBA have provided a “loop” to help you navigate around the congestion. Think of it as an I-465, just for downtown and not the entire city.*Authors note. Please do not drive downtown streets like you drive I-465. Thank you.

Traveling counterclockwise on the loop means you’re on the BLUE ROUTE.

Traveling clockwise on the loop means you’re on the GOLD ROUTE.

Source: Photo Courtesy of NBA.com / NBA.com

Both the blue and gold routes avoid streets restricted for all-star weekend, and generally navigate you around the epicenter of the foot traffic. The routes utilize West St., which can get stuffy during peak-party hours given its multiple lanes and two-way accessibility. Also, I would avoid going too far north on College Ave. You’ll end up in Bottleworks territory, placing you at odds with Friday and Saturday night crowds who are jousting for parking spots near the Mass Ave. Cultural District.

Finally, the lane restrictions on Missouri St. and Capitol Ave. will cause gridlock around Lucas Oil Stadium. I have it circled on the map and marked with a Mr. Yuk sticker. There’s no way I’m taking a car near there.

Pedestrian Safety

I’m confident that we can make it through the weekend without hitting anyone with our cars. I really am, but pedestrian safety is a problem in Mile Square and it’s getting worse. Please, take it easy. Pedestrians cross early, cross where they’re not supposed to cross, and cross drunkenly. Please pay special attention to the crosswalks while minding the “no right on red” signs that occupy every intersection in Mile Square. Given the massive amount of cars occupying the downtown area this weekend, more locals could be using bikes and scooters as their primary means of transportation, so bike lanes will require extra attention.

Rideshare

There are two rideshare lots for drop off and pickup, one at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and another at Lucas Oil Stadium. They both have geofencing, which is a techie way of saying “good signal.”

Parking

If driving, it’s smart to plan your parking. Lock your desired lot into your navigation device and go. Here’s a map. Godspeed.

Matt Bair is the Traffic Director and Reporter for 93 WIBC. Give him a shout on X (Twitter) at @MattINTraffic.