There will be plenty of eyes on Atlanta on Thursday night.
The Georgia capital will be home to a unique doubleheader. First, the U.S. men’s national team will face Panama in the Copa América at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Three hours after the USMNT’s 6 p.m. ET kickoff, a very different sort of competition will begin just three miles away at CNN Studios: Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off in their first of two presidential debates ahead of November’s election.
Naturally, the two events are set to cause something of a traffic apocalypse in a city that is already known for congestion issues.
A statement from the Atlanta Police Department (APD) released this week urged anybody out and about on Thursday to avoid driving if at all possible.
“If you are planning an evening out in Atlanta, for the game, dinner or any other of our offerings, we encourage you to plan ahead and anticipate limited parking and heavier than usual traffic,” the APD said.
“There will be several road closures in the areas surrounding the debate and your route could be impacted. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination and plan for parking spaces to fill quickly.”
The APD then urged people to take MARTA, the city’s train system, or use a ride-share service.
In a statement of its own, MARTA said it would be providing additional rail service on Thursday to accomodate the influx of riders.
The presidential debate will take place in Midtown, with the USMNT-Panama match in Downtown. According to Google Maps, the distance between the two venues is just 2.8 miles.
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