KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Getting around downtown Kansas City will present some challenges this week. The city hosts the Big 12 men's basketball championship tournament, which means roads surrounding the Sprint Center will be closed.
Some closures went into effect Monday, and the rest take effect Tuesday at 10 a.m. They last until Sunday, March 11. The basketball tournament runs March 7 through 10.
Here is a list of roads impacted by the tournament:
- Grand Boulevard (between 13th St. and Truman Rd.): closed starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 5, through 6 a.m. on Sunday, March 11.
- 14th Street (between Main and Walnut Sts.): closed starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6, through midnight on Sunday, March 11.
- 14th Street (between Walnut St. and Grand Blvd.): closed starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 5, through 6 a.m. on Sunday, March 11.
- Walnut Street (between 13th St. and Truman Rd.): closed starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 7, through midnight on Sunday, March 12.
- Truman Road (from Oak St. to Walnut St., including the Grand Boulevard Bridge) will be closed starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 5, through 6 a.m. on Sunday, March 11.
City leaders ask you to give yourself extra time if you're heading to downtown this week, whether your trip is to attend a basketball game or other reasons.
The city launched a service making it possible to reserve and pre-pay for a parking spot in a garages downtown. Click here to access the "Click and Park" service.
To cut down on traffic backups as a result of the closures, the city is encouraging downtown visitors to consider car-pooling, riding the bus or streetcar, and to rent a B-Cycle through the city's bike sharing program.
Expect plenty of traffic Thursday when teams from K-State and KU play their first games at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively. Click here to see the tournament bracket.
This is the tenth time the Sprint Center has hosted the college basketball tournament. Tickets are available through the venue's website.
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