The 75th Annual Armed Forces Day Parade will take place Friday, and begin on Market Street at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd at 10:30 a.m. traveling northbound toward Aquarium Way. The parade may be viewed from any public sidewalk within this corridor. The estimated length of the parade is 30 minutes.
To clear the roadway for the parade, Market Street will be closed at Frazier Avenue at 10:30 a.m. All southbound traffic will need to detour via Manufacturers Avenue and Highway 27.
The full closure of Market Street will also limit all eastbound and westbound at the following intersections for an estimated one hour (10:30-11:30 a.m.):
· 11th Street
· 10th Street
· Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
· 8th Street
· 7th Street
· 6th Street
· 5th Street
· 4th Street*
· 3rd Street
· Aquarium Way
· E 1st Street
All traffic west of Market Street needing to travel eastbound will detour via Broad Street / Highway 27 to W 12th Street.
All traffic east of Market Street needing to travel westbound will detour via Cherry Street, E 8th Street (to travel briefly EB), Lindsay Street and Houston Street.
Riverfront Parkway or Main Street are highly recommended as an alternative route to travel east or west of Market Street during the closure.
*4th Street east and westbound will remain open across Market Street until the parade reaches 5th Street. At this point, until the parade ends only emergency vehicles will be allowed on 4th Street.
STAGING AREA AND VIEWING STAND CLOSURE
Market Street between W 12th Street/Houston Street and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd will close from 9:30 AM until 11:30 AM (estimated) for parade staging. This includes the full closure of intersections at Market Street and 11th Street, Georgia Ave, and 10th Street. Detours during this time will be via Broad Street. Street parking will be prohibited within this closure.
Dignitary viewing stands will be placed at the intersection of Broad Street and Aquarium Way. As a result, the following roads will see a full closure between 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM (estimated):
· Broad Street between E 3rd Street and Aquarium Way
· Aquarium Way between Chestnut Street and Market Street.
Street parking will also be prohibited during this time.
TRANSPORTATION / PARKING
CARTA’s Downtown Electric Shuttle will operate as normal, however, the shuttle stops between 12th Street and 11th Street (Warehouse Row / Development Resource Center) will not have service between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM.
All Bike Chattanooga bike-sharing stations will operate as normal and are a great option to travel from nearby parking lots to the parade route.
CARTA and Chattanooga Parking Authority lots are available with the North and South Shuttle Parking Garages being the best options to park and walk to the parade route. Please note that street parking along Market Street, Aquarium Way and sections of Broad Street may be limited or unavailable during the parade. Any vehicles still parked after 10:30 AM, will not be permitted to exit until after the parade.
GRAN FONDO HINCAPIE – TRAFFIC IMPACT
The following roads and intersections will be closed from Friday, May 3rd at Noon until Saturday, May 4th at 7 PM for the Gran Fondo Hincapie setup and bike race:
· E Martin Luther King Blvd from Lindsay Street to Houston Street
· Houston Street from E Martin Luther King Blvd to E 10th Street
· East 10th Street at the intersection of Houston Street
Gran Fondo Hincapie Chattanooga Bike Ride - Cyclists will be escorted by CPD officers starting at 8 AM on Saturday, May 4th, beginning from E Martin Luther King Blvd, turning north onto Market Street. CPD will be present at all intersections on Market Street, crossing into North Shore, and continuing onto Cherokee Blvd. Please watch for instructions from these officers as the cyclists will be given the right of way while an officer is present.
A secondary route traveling Manufacturers Road will have officers present at both HWY 27 ramps and at the entrance of Renaissance Park.
The first return cyclists are expected back into Chattanooga around 10:00 AM.
Inbound cyclists for the Gran and Medio Routes will return via Tiftonia via Cummings Road, Wauhatchie Pike, Cummings Highway and turning onto Old Wauhatchie Pike and travel to the finish line located near the intersection of Old Wauhatchie Pike / Scenic Highway.
The intersection of Old Wauhatchie Pike and Scenic Highway will have officers present to flag traffic to a stop and allow cyclists to travel downhill on Scenic Highway and then into the right, eastbound lane of Cummings Highway.
Once reaching Broad Street, cyclists will turn on W 33rd, then travel north on Alton Park Blvd / Market Street, right on W 12th Street, continuing onto Houston Street, and back to the closure on E Martin Luther King Blvd. Officers will be located at major intersections/traffic lights for the inbound cyclists.
Cyclists will be required to ride with traffic while following the rules of the road. This is an open course so expect cyclists throughout the city. Please pay close attention to officer instructions when CPD is present.
Most cyclists should complete their routes by 4 p.m.
View CDOT's map of events and road closures for full details of these activities and other projects underway in our public space.