Juneau residents should prepare for downtown street closures, traffic delays and other changes to city operations Wednesday through Saturday for Celebration 2016.
Savikko Park (Sandy Beach) and the Douglas Boat Harbor will be in use on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the One People Canoe Society canoe welcome ceremony. Event organizers are expecting hundreds of people to attend so traffic may be affected. The harbor and beach will be open to the public during the canoe arrival.
For Celebration’s Grand Entrance processional, parts of Village Street and Willoughby Avenue will be closed to vehicles. Traffic will also be affected on Warrior Street, Whittier Street and West Third Street. The processional will begin at 5:45 p.m. at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall, proceed along Willoughby Avenue and end at Centennial Hall by 8 p.m.
Access to Willoughby Avenue parking lots at the State Office Building, Department of Environmental Conservation, 400 Willoughby Avenue Building and Fireweed Place Access will be closed off at approximately 5:30 p.m. and will reopen at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, Sealaska Heritage Institute will be hosting the Celebration 2016 parade beginning at 9 a.m. at the Steamship Dock parking lot on Marine Way. The parade route is Marine Way to the traffic circle, South Franklin Street to Front Street, Front Street to Seward Street, Seward Street to Marine Way, Marine Way to Egan Drive, Egan Drive outbound lanes to Willoughby Avenue, and Willoughby Avenue to Centennial Hall. These streets will be periodically closed to vehicular traffic and delays should be expected. The parade will conclude by 11:30 a.m.
Other streets that will be affected by the parade are Admiral Way, Ferry Way, Shattuck Street, Seward Street, Main Street, Egan Drive and Willoughby Avenue.
Also on Saturday due to the parade, Capital Transit service will be discontinued into downtown beyond the Federal Building starting at 8:30 a.m. Normal service will resume at noon. Capital Transits asks passengers to wait for the bus at the Federal Building.
Later on Saturday, traffic delays are expected downtown for Celebration’s Grand Exit. The event will begin at 5:45 p.m. on Willoughby Avenue between West Third Street and Egan Drive. This section of the Willoughby will be closed to vehicles. The event will conclude at 8 p.m.
Related stories:
Canoes to arrive for Celebration kickoff
What not to miss at Celebration 2016
