Atlanta road closures: G-20 summit block Midtown streets
Midtown road closures snarled by G20 summit
Road closures and security perimeters for the two-day G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting at the Loews Hotel snarled Midtown traffic alongside arriving crowds for the Georgia-Florida football game, transportation officials said.
ATLANTA - Security checkpoints and street closures took effect in Midtown for the G-20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Friday at the Lowes Hotel.
Midtown Atlanta security gridlock
What we know:
Diplomats from leading global economies, including Russia and China, are meeting in Midtown Atlanta to discuss international economic cooperation and security challenges, according to the US State Department.
The Atlanta Department of Transportation enacted street closures at midnight Friday, with Juniper Street between 11th and 13th streets completely shut down.
Southbound motorists on Juniper Street can take a posted detour along Peachtree Street.
Police officers, armed tactical personnel, K-9 units and surveillance drones are securing the area around the meeting. Roadways surrounding the venue will stay blocked until Sunday at noon, according to ADOT.
Neighbor frustration and gridlock
What they're saying:
Frustrated Midtown residents described confusion and traffic headaches when morning commutes stalled.
Anna Bohlmann, who just moved to the neighborhood, watched traffic stall from her balcony.
"I walked to work very early, and there were a lot more cops and guns and things. And I was just like, I don't know what's going on," Bohlmann said. "I was watching cars be in the same spot for 30 minutes."
Bohlmann says the traffic has her changing her weekend plans.
"I'm already not used to driving in the city, and so I've been trying to walk everywhere. I walk to work, I just walked to get my lunch. I really am trying to not use my car just because of how bad the traffic was," she said.
Keilyn Broussard echoed those worries while watching corridors close ahead of busy Halloween weekend festivities and downtown crowds heading to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Georgia-Florida game.
"I just noticed that there's a lot of blocked-off areas on this side, and I'm assuming there's going to be more traffic eventually. And yeah, I had no idea that any of this was happening," Broussard said. "I'm assuming with the holidays that might cause even more traffic. So that's a little inconvenient."
Regional travel and detours
Big picture view:
Travel impacts extend will also extend into downtown Atlanta. Large crowds of football fans attending the Georgia-Florida matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium could add to the traffic congestion.
Summit timing and attendance
What we don't know:
Officials have not shared an exact schedule of when foreign delegations will travel between destinations.
It is also not known which specific foreign dignitaries have arrived in the city or whether unscheduled security motorcades will shut down adjoining expressways.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Atlanta Department of Transportation announcements statements from the U.S. Department of State detailing summit attendees, reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Hernan Gutierrez and interviews with Midtown residents.