Mill Avenue goes car-free: Your guide to navigating Tempe’s Festival of the Arts

PHOENIX – As art enthusiasts head to downtown Tempe this weekend for the Spring Festival of the Arts, drivers should be ready for significant street closures and detours.

The festival on Mill Avenue runs from Friday through Sunday, which means motorists need to navigate closures.

The spring version of the twice-yearly event takes place March 13-15.

What Tempe streets will be closed due to Festival of the Arts?

The following street closures started 7 a.m. Thursday:

• Mill Avenue in both directions between Fifth Street and University Drive.
• Seventh Street in both directions from Mill Avenue to Maple Avenue/Tower Drive. Local traffic will be permitted west of Myrtle Avenue.
• Seventh Street east of Mill Avenue to Westin Alley.
• Maple Avenue in both directions between Fifth and Seventh streets.
• Sixth Street in both directions from Mill Avenue to Maple Avenue/Tower Drive.

The following closures went into effect later Thursday at the noted times:

• 2 p.m.: Fourth Street in both directions from Mill Avenue to Maple/Tower Drive.
• 2 p.m.: Maple Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets.
• 5 p.m.: Mill Avenue in both directions between Rio Salado Parkway and Fifth Street.
• 5 p.m.: Third Street in both directions from Mill Avenue to Ash Avenue.

All restrictions are scheduled to be lifted at 5 a.m. Monday.

To find the best parking and access options for any individual business on Mill Avenue, guests are encouraged to call the business directly.

While festival guests are encouraged to arrive via public transportation, streetcar and bus routes in the area will also be impacted by the event. Streetcar service will be limited to operate between Dorsey Lane/Apache Boulevard and Ninth Street/Mill Avenue until Sunday night.

Bus routes 48, 62, 66, Earth, Jupiter, Mercury and Venus will all experience detours during the event.

A full list of street closures and transit impacts is available on the city of Tempe website.

Get the latest KTAR News 92.3 FM traffic alerts sent straight to your phone by texting “TRAFFIC” to 620620.

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