Four blocks of South Main Street along the west side of Michigan Stadium temporarily will be closed to through traffic during U-M home football games beginning Aug. 31.
The Ann Arbor City Council approved at its Aug. 8 meeting a modified street closure request from the U-M Police Department by a vote of seven to four. The northbound lanes between Stadium Boulevard and Pauline Street will be closed to through traffic three hours before kickoff until after the game. The southbound lanes will remain open until one hour before kickoff.
“We appreciate the Ann Arbor City Council granting approval so we can enhance our security measures around the stadium while also improving pedestrian safety for football patrons and community guests,” said Joe Piersante, U-M police chief.
Delaying the closure of the southbound lanes until one hour before the game was a modification to the original plan in response to concerns expressed earlier by nearby neighbors. Accommodations will be made to allow those drivers requiring access to the properties between Snyder and Berkeley streets that only have Main Street access.
The street closure, along with the temporary closure of Keech Street, the lane closure of the westbound north turn lane of Stadium Boulevard, and the reduction of parking spaces along the east side of the Stadium, will complete a 100-foot vehicle-free zone around the stadium that originally was recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
