COTA: Traffic jams at ‘Formula Run’ not a race day indicator
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With clock time ticking until race day, work at the Circuit of The Americas continues. Organizers want to make sure everything is ready to go for fans and racers.
One concern for U.S. Grand Prix weekend remains getting to and from the circuit.
Traffic was a nightmare Saturday as thousands of runners tried to make their way to the Circuit of the Americas for Formula Run, the first race held at the new track.
"Next week is going to be hell. Next week is probably going to be very interesting for people that don't know the area. You better get here three or four hours ahead of time."
"This was a great test for traffic. We had fog, there was still construction going on, there won't be construction on race weekend,” RunTex owner Paul Carrozza said. “Right there at 130 and 812 they're just going to have to have more traffic control and keep people moving through."
Circuit of the Americas representatives say comparing Formula Run with Formula One isn't fair. They said Saturday they had nearly twice the number of guests they were expecting, and the traffic plan that will be in place during the U.S. Grand Prix is different.
Major traffic issues aren't unheard of at Formula One events.
Earlier this year at the British Grand Prix, traffic issues caused some race fans to miss Friday's events altogether.
To keep that from happening here, Travis County will also be enforcing race weekend traffic restrictions that will prohibit stopping, parking, walking and bicycling in the right of way of several roads around the track.
Contraflow will also help cars move into the area.