The world's oldest and largest high school rowing competition returns to the shores and waters of the Schuylkill River this weekend and that means a major thoroughfare will be closed to motorists.
The Kelly Drive is the major closure for the 87th annual Stotesbury Cup Regatta, which brings more than 6,000 rowers on 980 boats from 195 high schools from 142 different towns to Philadelphia, Pa.
A 1-1/2 mile stretch of Kelly Drive was closed at 10 a.m. Thursday and will remain closed between Strawberry Mansion Drive and Fountain Green Drive until the regatta wraps up around 8 p.m. Saturday.
Entrance to the regatta zone is by permit only so all other traffic will be detoured onto other routes including Strawberry Mansion, Fountain Green and Reservoir Drives.
Detours will be posted, according to Philadelphia Police.
Expect potential delays on other Schuylkill River arteries like the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) and the Martin Luther King Drive the next few days.
Click here to track the latest traffic on NBC10.com.
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As for the Cup, races begin at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday with finals going Saturday from 1 to 5:50 p.m. Spectators can watch for free from the banks of the river.
