ATLANTA —
Now, we know Georgia has an icy (to say the least) Super Bowl history, and with temperatures dropping -- you may be worried about the roadways during Super bowl LIII.
11Alive contacted Natalie Dale with the Georgia Department of Transportation, and here’s what she had to say.
What steps will GDOT take to prepare for the Superbowl in generally?
Dale sad they will set up a Transportation Management Center that will work extended hours to manage daily traffic, lane closures and events. Dale said it will be all hands on deck. “The TMC will be fully activated for the 10 days leading up to Super Bowl Sunday and through Monday morning when the last lane closure is removed,” said Dale. She confirmed that GDOT began planning for Superbowl 53 two years ago.
Are we prepared for a snow/ ice storm alongside the influx of people that will be in the city?
“Both the City and State have made substantial investments over the past few years in emergency preparedness, winter response coordination and road-treatment capabilities,” said Dale. These investments include enhanced planning, resources, equipment and monitoring.”
How is GDOT dealing with the stress of an overcrowded city?
“It is imperative that people are diligent in planning ahead.” She said be sure to have back up routes and take advantage of carpooling and transit options as well. All in all, “know before you go.”
All in all, Is GDOT ready for the Superbowl?
“Due to a rich partnership with the Super Bowl Host Committee and the City of Atlanta, we are ready to address and support all transportation related challenges that a 10 day event of this size brings.”
Weather history of Superbowl’s in Atlanta
Some of us may remember how frosty the “Super Bowl Ice Storm” of 2000 was. Maybe, detrimental is a better word. A week before the Super Bowl, the storm left nearly 500,000 people without power in North Georgia --some for more than week. Oh, and it gets worse. Millions of dollars lost worse.
PHOTOS | Atlanta's icy Super Bowl in 2000
The ice storm returned on January 28 during Super Bowl weekend. The game went on inside of the stadium, but the outside was a complete wreck; a 47-car wreck pile up on I-20 westbound -- to be exact. 11Alive also reported multiple other wrecks around the city. North Georgia has around $48 million of total losses.
Even with all of the historic iciness, Atlanta had many factors casting it into the mix of host cities. One of those reasons being Mercedes-Benz Stadium's open roof. Super Bowl 53 is covered, literally, just in case another ice storm decides to say hello.
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