Detours, Devils and dirndls: How to navigate Tempe closures this weekend

Headed to downtown Tempe this weekend? Plan for closed roads, with Oktoberfest and an Arizona State football game shutting down streets around the lake and campus.

Four Peaks Oktoberfest runs Friday through Sunday near Tempe Town Lake. Several streets around the festival grounds at Tempe Beach Park will close starting at 4 p.m. Friday, the city announced.

On Saturday, ASU hosts Hawaii at Mountain America Stadium, bringing additional closures and bus detours around campus.

What streets are closed for Oktoberfest?

These closures run from 4 p.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Sunday or when the event ends:

• Westbound Rio Salado Parkway between Mill Avenue and Lakeside Drive
• Eastbound Rio Salado Parkway between Hardy Drive and Mill Avenue
• Southbound Mill Avenue between Curry Road and Rio Salado Parkway, including the sidewalk; northbound Mill stays open
• Northbound Ash Avenue at Third Street
• Eastbound First Street at Rio Salado Parkway

No bus detours are planned for the festival, though the city said it may add some if safety issues come up.

What streets are closed for the ASU game Saturday?

Closures near the stadium start 5.5 hours before the 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Veterans Way closes between Sixth Street and College Avenue, and College Avenue closes between Sixth and Seventh streets.

Starting at 5:30 p.m., closures expand to parts of Fifth Street, Sixth Street and College Avenue, and access to the Packard Drive parking lots will be limited.

The biggest restrictions begin at the start of the third quarter and last until an hour after the game. They include:

• Southbound Scottsdale/Rural Road between Curry Road and Rio Salado Parkway
• Southbound Mill Avenue at Rio Salado Parkway
• Westbound University Drive between Rural Road and McClintock Drive
• Northbound Rural Road between Rio Salado Parkway and University Drive
• Both Loop 202 off-ramps to Scottsdale Road

Valley Metro bus routes 30, 48, 62 and 72, along with the free Orbit Earth, Mars, Mercury and Venus circulators, will be detoured during the game.

How to get around downtown Tempe this weekend

The best way around Tempe is by public transit, recommends city officials. Riders can leave their cars at park-and-ride lots and hop on the light rail at McClintock Drive and Apache Boulevard, or at Price Road and Apache Boulevard.

Drivers can check the Tempe TRiP app for open spots, rates and routes; downtown has more than 20,000 public parking spaces.

Elsewhere, drivers should be on the lookout from multiple closures and restrictions on Phoenix-area freeways.

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

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