Road closures and SEPTA detours will be on the agenda as the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade returns to Philadelphia on Sunday.
Yes, the parade is happening one week before the actual St. Patrick's Day, meaning commuters should be prepared to take alternate routes and find other parking spots. The paraded route will begin on 16th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard at 11 a.m., cut through the Independence Mall area and end at Penn's Landing at 3 p.m.
However, some road closures will begin in the predawn hours before the parade starts and last until at least an hour after it ends. And no, if you park on the restricted areas, the luck of the Irish won't keep you from getting towed. Here's what's closing and the timing:
The following streets will close between 5 a.m. until around 4 p.m.:
- Market Street between 6th and 5th streets
The following streets will close between 9:00 a.m. until around 3:30 p.m.:
- John F. Kennedy Boulevard between 20th and 15th streets
- 20th Street between Market and Arch streets
- 19th Street between Market and Arch streets
- 18th Street between Market and Arch streets
- 17th Street between Market and Arch streets
- 16th Street between Market and Arch streets
- 15th Street between Market and Arch streets
The following streets will close between 10 a.m. (possibly even earlier) until around 3:30 p.m.:
- John F. Kennedy Boulevard between 15th and Juniper streets
- Juniper Street between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Market Street
- Market Street between Juniper and Front streets
- All cross streets on Market Street from 13th to Front streets, between Chestnut Street and Arch Street
- Front Street between Market and Chestnut streets
You won't be allowed to park on the following streets from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.:
- 1400-2000 block of John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Nor will you be allowed to park on these streets from 5:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.:
- 5th Street between Chestnut and Market streets
- 6th Street between Chestnut and Race streets
- Race Street between 5th and 6th streets
- Market Street from Juniper Street to Front Street
- Front Street between Market and Chestnut streets
SEPTA detours:
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SEPTA buses 2, 4, 5, 16, 17, 21, 23, 42, 45, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 47, 47M, 48, 57, 61, 124 and 125 will be detoured between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. You can find your specific route change here.
People taking regional rail to the parade are also asked to avoid carrying any kind of bags, backpacks, or satchels, since they'll be searched and could slow things down.
