The Penn Relays will be held April 27-29 on Franklin Field.

Two big events are happening this weekend in Philadelphia that will cause road closures and traffic changes. The annual Penn Relays will be held on the Franklin Field, and the NFL Draft will take place for the first time since 1960 in the city – on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Both events will be held for three days – April 27 through April 29.

The NFL Draft Experience will take place on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, between 20th St. and Eakins Oval, and a number of road closures will be in place for this event. Until Monday, May 1, 5 a.m., Ben Franklin Parkway from 20th St. to the Art Museum will be closed. Kelly Drive will be closed at Fairmount Ave., and all traffic will be diverted. 

Also, until Monday, May 1, 5 a.m., the following road closures will be in effect:

• 21st , 22nd, 23rd and 24th Streets, crossing the Ben Franklin Parkway will be closed.
• MLK Drive will be closed at Sweet Briar Drive; Spring Garden Bridge will be closed at 31st St.
• Spring Garden St. from 22nd St to the B.F. Pkwy will be closed.
• Pennsylvania Ave. and Callowhill St. will be closed from 20th St.to 21st St.
• Pennsylvania Ave. from Hamilton St. to Fairmount Ave. will be closed.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes, and allow for extra driving time when traveling in the vicinity.

SEPTA is urging the public to make plans for travel around town during these dates. Extra trains will operate on the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines to accommodate fans traveling to the draft on April 27 and 28. Local train service will operate on a regular weekend schedule April 29. Extra trolleys on Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will operate on April 27 and 28 to accommodate the draft.

Due to Draft event-related road closures, SEPTA Bus Routes 7, 32, 33, 38, 43 and 48 will be detoured through the Benjamin Franklin Parkway area during the three-day Draft Experience. All detours and their effective dates will be posted in the System Status section of www.septa.org.