Philadelphia's grand Independence Day celebrations are upon us, but they come at a cost for commuters staying in the city between now and Tuesday.
The 2017 Wawa Welcome America six-day festival kicked off Thursday with its "Hoagie Day" event but will continue with about 50 events before the festivities wrap up on the Fourth of July with a parade at Independence Mall from 11 a.m. until noon followed by a concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway headlined by Mary J. Blige and, of course, fireworks ending at 10 p.m.
The city's put out an extensive guide to all the street closures necessary to ring in the holiday, and one thing is clear – if you're not traveling on bike or by foot, plan ahead.
MAJOR STREET CLOSURES
Friday
• Chestnut Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Saturday
• Chestnut Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday
• Chestnut Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, from 6 a.m. until Tuesday around 5 p.m.• Fifth Street, between Market and Walnut streets from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sixth Street, between Arch and Chestnut streets, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sixth Street, between Market and Chestnut to remain closed overnight until Tuesday around 5 p.m.
• The inner lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th and Eakins Oval will shut down from 9:30 a.m. until Wednesday at 5 a.m. to prepare for the fireworks and concert
Tuesday
• Chestnut Street from Fifth to Front streets from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.• Front Street, from Market to Dock streets from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Chestnut Street from Sixth to Ninth streets as well as Ninth Street from Walnut to Market streets and Market Street, from 10th to Front streets, will close to traffic around 10:45 a.m. until about 2 p.m.
The city has also shared maps of the street closures for all those visual learners out there.
Daring on driving into the city? The Philadelphia Parking Authority has a parking guide for you, too.
However, the city is urging people to take SEPTA, which has added services to accommodate eventgoers. Trolleys 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will run after Tuesday's firework celebration "as needed." SEPTA will deploy additional trains on both the Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines.
Bus riders whose routes travel through Center City should expect detours, which can be viewed on SEPTA's website here.