Beware: ‘Hamilton,’ Dwyane Wade and wine and food festival may bring heavy traffic
While downtown Miami is a hot spot to be on a Saturday, this weekend may not be the best time to go out on the town.
Heavy traffic is to be expected Saturday as three major events take place around downtown and Miami Beach: Dwyane Wade’s jersey retirement at American Airlines Arena, “Hamilton” at the Arsht Center and the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
Downtown Miami
“Hamilton” at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts will have two performances on Saturday, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Drivers using Interstate 395 may encounter heavier than normal traffic when taking an exit into downtown around showtime.
Just a few streets down, a Miami Heat game will start at 8 p.m. at the American Airlines Arena, but this is not just an ordinary game. Wade’s No. 3 jersey will be retired during the halftime ceremony during the Heat’s home matchup against the Cavaliers.
Miami police will have the usual officer detail that is outside every Miami Heat game at the AAA. Officers will be directing traffic and placed along Biscayne Boulevard, Northeast Eighth Street and Northeast Sixth Street.
Police said they will be monitoring traffic and adjusting officers’ patrols if it begins to back up heavily.
One major traffic obstacle will be the Brickell Avenue Bridge which, as of Friday, was still closed due to mechanical and electrical problems.
The Florida Department of Transportation said that an additional crew was sent to the bridge to help with the emergency work Friday morning.
As there is no estimated time for when the bridge will reopen, coming into downtown from the south is not advised. But if you do, use the South Miami Avenue Bridge or the Southwest Second Avenue Bridge as alternate routes.
Miami Beach
Over the causeways, you can expect a lot of foodies and wine lovers going to events in Miami Beach Saturday. Expect good-sized crowds near Loews Miami Beach Hotel, 1601 Collins Ave., as a yoga and wine event called Buddhas & Bellinis goes from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
The bigger events will take place during the night hours, like Coca-Cola’s Beachside BBQ being hosted by Guy Fieri going from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Beachside at Delano, 1685 Collins Ave.
While there will be no specific road closures, expect congestion, which commonly happens with large-scale events, said Ernesto Rodriguez, Miami Beach police spokesman.
Police are encouraging people to use ride-share apps and are reminding everyone of the dangers of drinking and driving.
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 6:12 PM.
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