FORT SMITH (KFSM)- The Steel Horse Motorcycle Rally will shut down parts of Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith on May 1 and 2.
On both days, Garrison Avenue will be closed to all but motorcycles between 6th Street and 10th Street. There will also be partial closures one block to the east at 11th Street and one block to the west at 5th Street.
The closures are scheduled from approximately 6:30 p.m. on May 1 until 2:30 a.m. the following morning and from approximately 3 p.m. on May 2 until 2:30 a.m. the following morning. Those times may be adjusted depending on traffic.
Motorcycle parking will be allowed at the curbside along the closed portions of Garrison Avenue as well as in the center traffic lanes. All motorcycles have to be moved from the center lanes before the street is opened to normal traffic at 2 a.m., otherwise they'll be towed at the owners' expense.
Westbound traffic onto Garrison Avenue from Rogers Avenue will be detoured north onto North 11th Street. Drivers heading to Oklahoma can use North B Street to reach North 5th Street and then move back to Garrison Avenue into Oklahoma. Eastbound drivers entering Fort Smith via the Garrison Avenue Bridge will be detoured at 5th Street. Drivers can then either turn south onto 5th Street and then east onto Rogers Avenue or north onto 5th Street and then east on North A Street to bypass the closed areas.
Drivers should also be aware of a motorcycle procession that's going to take place at 5 p.m. on May 2. The procession will start at Fort Smith Park, head toward the downtown area via Riverfront Drive, then turn east onto North A Street until reaching North 10th Street, where it will turn south, passing Cisterna Park, then turn west onto Garrison Avenue where it will move into the closed motorcycles-only section.
The Fort Smith Police Department is urging drivers in the downtown area to be patient and plan ahead.
Steel Horse Rally Director Dennis Snow said he is expecting 5,000 people to show up to the inaugural event.