Prepare for traffic snarls as state basketball tournament hits Rupp Arena

Downtown drivers will want to allow extra time or consider an alternate route for the rest of this week, as the Whitaker Bank KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen rebounds into Rupp Arena.

Lexington Center issued an advisory Tuedsay afternoon saying “traffic and parking will be highly impacted” by the event, which runs from noon Wednesday to 4 p.m. Sunday. Out-of-town visitors will be coming in and out of the arena throughout the week as the tournament continues.

Saturday’s traffic could be particularly troublesome, as thousands of people visit downtown for St. Patrick’s Day festivities. The Shamrock Shuffle 3k begins at 8 a.m. and is followed by the parade at 1 p.m. Registration for the race begins at 6:30 a.m. at Lexington Center.

This story was originally published March 13, 2018 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Prepare for traffic snarls as state basketball tournament hits Rupp Arena."