UDOT, UTA advise travelers to plan ahead for Garth Brooks concerts

SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands of concertgoers will be coming to Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday and Saturday to see Garth Brooks perform. With the influx of traffic, the Utah Department of Transportation, UDOT, and Utah Transit Authority, UTA, are advising travelers in Salt Lake City to plan ahead for both nights of the concert.

UDOT’s John Gleason warned of extra cars on in-town streets, and advises everyone, especially people who live in neighborhoods adjacent to the University of Utah, to be prepared.

“Tens of thousands of people and a lot of extra vehicles will be out on the road this weekend, so we’re just asking everyone to plan and ahead and understand what they’re getting into, and make sure they’re allowing for extra time,” Gleason said.

Foothill Drive, 400 South and 500 South and expected to have heavy traffic. Heavy congestion is also expected on eastbound I-80 in Salt Lake County.

UDOT and UTA say heavy traffic in the area of Rice-Eccles Stadium is expected to begin as early as 3 p.m. on both days. It could continue past midnight. 

Other area roads that are expected to see heavier than normal traffic include I-15 from 600 North to the I-215 interchange in Midvale, the I-215 east and south belts, and SR-201.

Traffic adjustments made for Garth Brooks concert

According to a news release, UDOT engineers will be adjusting nearby traffic lights to help with the flow of traffic to the stadium. UDOT says it will monitor the situation at the conclusion of the concerts on both nights. 

Additionally, UDOT says it is suspending construction work in the area to help with the flow of traffic. 

UTA will provide extra service on Friday and Saturday from three hours prior to the concert, until 90 minutes before Brooks takes the stage. Concert tickets will be valid as free fare on UTA all day for the date listed on the ticket.

According to UTA, TRAX trains heading from Draper to the stadium will be on a 15-minute schedule. The Red Line TRAX trains leaving Central Pointe for the stadium will run on a seven-minute schedule. It will start more than two hours before the concert and will run to 10 minutes prior to the concert.

For more information on UTA’s routes to the stadium, click here.

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