Long Beach Grand Prix: Expect traffic delays and plenty of rev
Unless you’re going to be driving an open-wheel race car, don’t expect to be going very fast in downtown Long Beach this weekend.
The city is welcoming the 40th Grand Prix of Long Beach, a signature three-day event for the city that attracts more than 170,000 people a year to its scenic waterfront.
The two-mile street course winds through palm-lined Shoreline Drive, swooping past landmarks like the Pike, the Long Beach Convention Center and the aquarium.
Large portions of Shoreline Drive and side streets south of Ocean Boulevard between Chestnut Avenue and Shoreline Drive are closed through 5 p.m. Monday. Residents should expect traffic congestion near the area as thousands of tourists descend upon the waterfront to watch from the grandstands.
Officials are advising attendees to bike, walk, or take public transit to the downtown area through Sunday, when the main race will take place. Residents should check Long Beach Transit advisories for service changes along the race route.
If you do drive, the city says, make sure to arrive early to find parking.
The Grand Prix, dubbed by some “the roar on the shore,” is also expected to generate a significant amount of noise as the open-wheel IndyCars screech through hairpin turns around the Aquarium of the Pacific and rev up past the harbor.
Here is a map of the race course, and the city of Long Beach has more detailed information on street closures here.
christine.maiduc@latimes.com
Twitter: @cmaiduc
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