Expect traffic problems in South Philly tonight, thanks to the Phillies game and two other events
All three of Philadelphia's main sports stadiums — Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field, and the Wells Fargo Center — will be in use Friday.
It’s going to be a busy night on the roads in South Philly tonight, with all three of the city’s major stadiums and arenas in use at the same time.
Not only is Citizens Bank Park hosting Game 3 of the NLCS between the Phillies and San Diego Padres, the Smashing Pumpkins are scheduled to perform at the Wells Fargo Center at 6:30 p.m. On top of that, Temple football is scheduled to kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field at 7:30 p.m., when the Owls will face the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes.
The Phillies game is scheduled to begin at 7:37 p.m.. So if you plan on driving, pack some patience. Parking at Citizens Bank Park runs $25 a vehicle, which you can prepay for on the Phillies’ website.
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Fortunately, SEPTA announced it will be adding extra service on the Broad Street throughout the weekend to accommodate fans hoping to help push the Phillies to their first World Series appearance since 2009.
On Friday, SEPTA will supplement regular service to NRG Station with five Express and two Local trains leaving Fern Rock Transportation Center beginning at 6:11 p.m. To keep things moving, the service is encouraging riders to load up their SEPTA Key Cards before heading out.
Drivers headed south on I-95 following any of Friday’s events will also have to deal with another obstacle — paving and bridge repairs. Beginning at 7 p.m., one lane will be closed on I-95 southbound between the Philadelphia International Airport and the Route 352/Route 320 interchange. At 9 p.m., two lanes will be closed.
If you’d rather not head out, the Phillies-Padres game will air on FS1, while ESPN2 will broadcast the Temple-Tulsa game.
There will also be multiple events on Saturday and Sunday in South Philly, but the times are more staggered and shouldn’t cause that large of a congestion problem.
On Saturday, the Sixers will take on the San Antonio Spurs at 6 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center. Game 4 of the NLCS won’t begin at Citizens Bank Park until 7:45 p.m.
On Sunday the timing is even better. Game 5 of Phillies-Padres is scheduled to begin at 2:37 p.m., though the weather could impact that timing. The Flyers are also set to play Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center against the San Jose Sharks, but that game won’t begin until 7 p.m.
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