New Jersey State Police are advising residents living near Philadelphia to treat the upcoming papal visit like extremely inclement weather, the department said in a Facebook post Friday.
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Ahead of the travel restrictions in place for the weekend of Pope Francis' stay, police are advising those within a 25-mile radius of the city to get ready, noting that roadways in the Northern part of the state will be impacted as well.
The department compared the event to a "forecasted snowstorm," asking residents to plan accordingly.
"That means buy your groceries, refill critical medicines, complete your errands before that day," the department wrote in the post. "Don’t schedule unnecessary medical procedures or appointments during that period. Then—if you’re not attending the event—hunker down to wait the traffic out."
The traffic restrictions, revealed earlier this month, mean limited service on NJ TRANSIT's Atlantic City Rail Line and River Line for that weekend. In addition, buses will not travel into Philadelphia from South Jersey and the Ben Franklin Bridge will be shut down.
According to police, the "gridlock conditions" should not only be expected for the weekend of Sept. 26-27 but also for the preceding Wednesday and the following Monday.