City offers tips to navigate downtown during today's NCAA tourney

TAMPA -- Tens of thousands of college basketball fans will pour into downtown this morning and city officials have some suggestions to help navigate around the St. Pete Times forum.

Congestion is expected to peak from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the first pair of games and again from 5 to 7:30 p.m. for the second. Traffic appeared to be light at noon, however.

Heading downtown but not the game? Here are streets to avoid:

Bayshore Boulevard
Platt Street
Channelside Drive
Ashley Drive
Tampa Street

If you are going to the game, city traffic officials suggest the following routes:

From the north, take Interstate 275 S to Exit 45A, Jefferson Street, then continue straight on Jefferson
until the Harrison Street intersection. Head west for a half-block, then south on Pierce Street to Whiting Street, right on Whiting to Morgan Street. Left on Morgan to the Forum. 

Alternate route is southbound on Interstate 275 S to Hillsborough Avenue, right on Hillsborough to
Tampa Street, left on Tampa to Whiting Street,  left on Whiting to Morgan Street,  right on Morgan to the Forum.

From south of downtown, take Bayshore Boulevard to Platt Street, then Channelside Drive and  follow Channelside to the Forum.

From the west, take Interstate 275 N to Exit 44, Tampa Street.

Alternate route is eastbound Kennedy Boulevard to Ashley Drive.  Turn right on Ashley to Jackson Street.  Left on Jackson to Morgan Street. Right on Morgan to the Forum.

From the the east, take Interstate 4 westbound to Exit 1, 21st Street, turn left on 21st Street to Adamo Drive (SR 60).  Turn right on SR 60 to Channelside Drive. Left on Channelside to the Forum. 

Alternate route is westbound on SR 60 to Channelside Drive. Left on Channelside to the Forum.

After the games, all eastbound traffic on Channelside Drive will be turned north on Florida Avenue, where motorists will be met with traffic leaving the Forum.

 -- Casey Cora, Times staff writer