(CHAMPAIGN)---The skies above Champaign were lit up as people celebrated the nation's birthday Wednesday. Because of construction near Dodds Park, celebration officials had to put special traffic plans in place to avoid tie-ups.
"All traffic lanes via Bradley, Parkland Way off of Mattis or Duncan Road, they'll all be in bound traffic lanes until 9:00." Says event organizer Mike Kobel "Then we'll switch that at 9:00 and then all those traffic lanes will be outbound."
Skeptical of that plan, Fireworks enthusiast Mitch Lowenstein says, "I was thinking as they got a couple lanes blocked off on Bradley that coming out of here might be a little difficult."
Driver Debbie Nelson agrees, "I'm going to the other end of town to my son's to eat dinner, and I'm thinking how am I going to get back home that way? I want to avoid this mess."
While drivers are stuck thinking the worse, police and other parking officials have certain goals in mind.
" To get as many people as we can in with a nice flow of traffic." Says Urbana Police officer Mike Cervantes "Try not to get any congestion, stuff like that."
Regardless, they can't seem to escape the fact the construction reeks havoc on their traffic plans.
"We could get people out a lot quicker if we had four lanes." Says Kobel "In the future (when the construction is done) if we use this venue then it's going to be that much better for us."
