US GP: Plan ahead for heavy traffic, construction delays

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Sept. 18, 2000 - Fans attending the inaugural SAP United States Grand Prix are encouraged to leave their home or hotel early to come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for practice, qualifications and Race Day.

Planning to leave an hour earlier than one would for the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 is a good idea, no matter from which direction you approach the track, according to Speedway officials. This is due to construction in the Indianapolis area and because it is the inaugural running of the SAP United States Grand Prix.

Fans are urged to follow the directions of law-enforcement personnel, who will direct traffic to the best and fastest routes to parking areas. There is no parking available inside the Speedway for this event. But parking is available in the "North 40" lot just north of the track off 30th Street. On practice and qualifying days, each person in the vehicle must have a ticket or pay gate admission in order to park in the lot.

Friday's practice day is $10 per person, while Saturday's qualifying day is $20. On Race Day, each person in the vehicle must have a Race Day ticket to park in the North 40. All tickets - for general admission and reserved seating - are sold out for Race Day. Tickets are available for Friday and Saturday.

Adequate parking is also available in the Speedway's Lot 1, adjacent to the northwest corner of the Speedway at 25th Street and Georgetown Road. Parking is $20 per day, or a four-day event package can be purchased in advance for $50 by calling the ticket office at (317) 484-6700. Other lots are available along Georgetown Road and along 16th Street. In addition, parking is available at private residences in the Town of Speedway, usually for a fee. On Race Day, fans are encouraged to travel via the IndyGo public transit services, which leave from the airport and downtown Indianapolis on a regular basis. More information can be obtained by calling IndyGo at (317) 635-3344, or on the IndyGo Web site, www.indygo.net.

Due to construction in the Indianapolis area, some routes that fans normally take to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be closed during the SAP United States Grand Prix.

An overview of the construction and alternative routes:

*At the Interstate 65-38th Street interchange, the northbound entrance ramp from westbound 38th Street is closed. Remaining open are the northbound Interstate 65 exit to westbound 38th Street, and the southbound I-65 entrance and exit ramps to eastbound 38th Street.

*Eastbound 38th Street is closed to traffic east of Kessler Boulevard for bridge replacement. Eastbound 38th Street traffic will be detoured via Kessler Boulevard to eastbound 30th Street to northbound Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street.

*Cold Springs Road is open for local traffic only. It is closed for through traffic due to bridge replacement. That traffic will be detoured via 29th Street and 30th Street to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street to westbound 38th Street.

*Westbound 38th Street traffic destined for northbound I-65 will be detoured via northbound Lafayette Road to 71st Street.

*At the I-65/Lafayette Road interchange, the northbound I-65 exit and entrance ramps to and from Lafayette Road are closed, as are the southbound I-65 exit and entrance ramps to and from Lafayette Road. Lafayette Road traffic will be detoured via 29th Street and 30th Street to Lafayette Road.

*At the I-65/I-465 interchange, the I-65 entrance loop from southbound I-465 is closed. The northbound I-65 exit ramp to northbound I-465 remains open. Northbound I-65 traffic is detoured to the northbound I-65 lanes north of the I-465 bridge. Southbound I-465 traffic destined for southbound I-65 will be detoured via southbound I-465 to eastbound I-70.

-Indianapolis Motor Speedway-