City of Miami Police have increased traffic patrols and security around the downtown area as thousands of people were expected in the area for a busy weekend that includes the Ultra Music Festival, Miami Heat games and an Alicia Keys concert.
The music festival is taking place at Bayfront Park over the weekend. The Heat games are on Friday and Sunday and the Keys concert is on Saturday.
Police say drivers should expect delays and should be patient when venturing to the area. They also encouraged people to use public transportation, which will have extended hours. The Metrorail and Metromover will run until 1 a.m. on event nights.
Click here for the Metromover, Metrobus and Metrorail information.
Streets will be closed and traffic flow will change, authorities said. Click here for more information on traffic flow changes. At 10 a.m. Friday, all southbound traffic along Biscayne Blvd will be detoured at NE 4th Street, west to N2 2nd Ave and continue southbound at that point. Only two lanes will be open to northbound traffic on Biscayne and will be shifted to the southbound lanes at SE 1st Street. This will continue until NE 4th Street. From there, the regular northbound lanes will be in use.
Authorities said concert and gamegoers should exit the AmericanAirlines Arena from the west and northwest, that is 6th Street, 8th Street, I-395 and I-195.
The gates at the music festival will be open from 3 p.m. to midnight on Friday, from noon to midnight on Saturday and from noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday.
Extra Metromover cars will be placed on the Omni Loop for people going to the Heat games and Keys concert. The green and orange line trains will have service about every 30 minutes. A train will run about every 15 minutes from Dadeland South and Earlington Heights stations as the orange and green trains will serve all stations between the two.
Meanwhile, trains will be from the Miami International Airport Station every 30 minutes.