Pennsylvania travel and tourism officials are telling everyone in the Philadelphia area to prepare for significant travel impacts due to the U.S. 250th anniversary commemoration and FIFA World Cup activities happening at the same time.
Officials project these events will result in the largest, most logistically complex public gathering in modern history, drawing extensive international and domestic visitors and boosting regional tourism. They warn of severe traffic gridlock and unprecedented congestion at airports and highways. These concerns have led to suspensions of nonessential road construction to maximize vehicle capacity on roadways.
Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) unveiled a specialized webpage at www.511PA.com/PhillyEvents to offer accessible, real-time information to the public for navigating major events in Philadelphia this summer.
The webpage features links to traffic maps and helpful travel tips for getting to each event. Traffic maps include the average travel time for primary routes to each event. Users can view real-time incidents, construction, traffic cameras, traffic speeds, and message board displays on the maps. The maps also include real-time SEPTA information, including status and next departure times.
PennDOT’s Southeast Regional Traffic Management Center is also helping by posting real-time travel information on changeable message signs. PennDOT will also be activating 40 additional cameras in the area and throughout the summer events to support monitoring of current traffic conditions, in addition to 32 message boards to direct motorists.
According to PennDOT, neighboring states, Delaware and New Jersey, along with the City of Philadelphia, the Sports Complex, SEPTA, and other stakeholders and transportation agencies across the region have joined together to help manage and monitor traffic conditions during the events.
Drivers can check conditions on major roads by visiting www.511PA.com to access traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras.