A major transformation is underway in North Texas as city streets in Arlington’s entertainment district are turned into a race track capable of speeds up to 180 mph.
“We’re so excited. This has been two plus years in the making,” said Bill Miller, president of the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington.
The race is a large undertaking designed to bring IndyCar back to North Texas.
Road closures around the 36-acre venue began Monday as crews continued building the temporary circuit, which features a 2.73-mile track with 14 turns. Construction on the track and surrounding structures has been underway for months.
“The track itself takes about 29 days to build. Our grandstands and suite structures we started in January, and it’s close. We’re on schedule and going to be ready to open our gates for the first time to everybody on Friday,” Miller said.
Arlington police say the event will bring a different kind of setup than other large gatherings in the city.
“We’ve hosted a lot of big things in our city. We’ve never hosted anything that looks quite like this,” said Arlington police spokesperson Tim Ciesco.
The city is urging fans and anyone planning to be in the area to prepare for detours and traffic changes.
Closures will affect North Collins Street, Randol Mill Road, AT&T Way, Cowboys Way, Stadium Drive/Ballpark Way and Nolan Ryan Expressway.
Beginning at 3 a.m. Wednesday, March 11, North Collins Street near Randol Mill Road will close for track construction, with one southbound lane remaining open.
The entire race course is expected to be closed by Friday morning.
“A lot of these streets, like I mentioned, that folks are used to driving across to get to parking lots to try to get closer to event venues aren’t going to be accessible,” Ciesco said.
He encouraged visitors to use the event’s maps and mobile app to plan parking and entry points.
“For those folks that are going to be parking south of the stadium and parking there, I recommend instead of taking 30 and some of the other roads you’re used to taking to get in, go to 360 and enter those roads off Division,” Ciesco said. “Likewise, if you’re going to the parking lots to the north and east of the stadium, that’s where you’re going to want to probably use the road to Six Flags as opposed to going all the way to Randall Mills Road and trying to get over because you will run into several blockades.”
Organizers encourage visitors to arrive when gates open at 9 a.m. for a full day of racing, concerts and other activities.
General admission tickets start at $35. Children 12 and younger are admitted free.