The Eagles will host the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game this Sunday at 3 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field, and — lt’s be real — things might crazy around 7 o’clock.
City officials are rolling out plans for road closures, parking restrictions, and public safety measures.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s walk through what is coming leading up to the big game — and perhaps afterward.
Parking restrictions kick off early
Starting today (Thursday), temporary “No Parking” signs are popping up along South Broad Street and around City Hall. The restrictions officially go into effect Saturday at noon, with cars left in the zone at risk of being relocated.
On Sunday, similar rules will apply around Cottman and Frankford avenues in Northeast Philly, as well as South Broad Street near the stadium. If your car goes missing, check with the local police district — it may have been relocated, not stolen. That MIGHT make it easier to find. No promises.
Road closures could follow the final whistle
Once the game wraps up, expect possible road closures in the Sports Complex District, Center City near City Hall, and nearby streets. Traffic officials recommend steering clear of these areas — especially if the Eagles win — and sticking to alternate routes if you’re driving.
Travel delays are inevitable, so build in extra time if you’re heading downtown or near the stadium Sunday evening (and who are you, exactly, unless you’re looking to join the party?). As always, follow detours, signs, and instructions from public safety officials.
SEPTA adds extra game-day service
If you’re not driving, SEPTA is stepping up to help fans get to the game. Express trains on the Broad Street Line will run every 10 minutes from Fern Rock Transit Center between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Need more details? Hit up SEPTA’s website or follow their updates on social media for real-time info.
Keeping fans safe
The city is beefing up public safety efforts, including extra law enforcement, traffic control, and medical services in key areas. Officials are also urging fans to plan ahead — whether it’s figuring out parking, mapping public transit routes, or dressing for the cold (good news on weather: the forecast says no chance of precipitation and highs near 40 on Sunday).
Safety reminders include:
- Leave unattended bags or packages alone and report anything suspicious to police.
- Call 911 for emergencies, and steer clear of drones (they’re banned over crowds).
- Monitor PennDOT’s live traffic map at 511pa.com for up-to-date road conditions.
Emergency operations on standby
The city’s Emergency Operations Center will be active on game day, bringing together agencies to coordinate everything from safety to public communication.
For live updates, follow the city’s official accounts: @SEPTA, @Philaoem, @PhiladelphiaGov, and @PhillyPolice. You can also sign up for ReadyPhiladelphia alerts by texting “READYPHILA” to 888-777 or customizing notifications at phila.gov/ready.
As far as greasing the polls, the city wouldn’t say what it plans to do, but had advice for what you should do. “Don’t climb the poles — greased or not greased — you break the poles, it costs money and that’s money you can spend on other things,” Philadelphia’s managing director Adam Thiel told 6ABC. “Have fun on the ground. Don’t climb anything.”
Mayor owns her mistake
Mayor Cherelle Parker, who received a lot of grief when she botched an “E-A-G-L-E-S” cheer earlier in the week, acknowledged it at a rally at LOVE Park Thursday.
“Your mayor done went out there and got in trouble, y’all,” she said to the crowd, before asking them to join in on a correct version of the chant. All went well.
Injury report
Jalen Hurts (knee) and Quinyon Mitchell (shoulder) were both question marks earlier this week to play after getting hurt in Sunday’s game against the Rams, but both participated fully in practice Thursday and are expected to play in the NFC Championship Game.
Tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) and center Cam Jurgens (back) did not practice Thursday, or Wednesday for that matter. Guard Landon Dickerson moved over to center at practice and got some time in at the position in case Jurgens can’t go Sunday. If that happens, Tyler Steen would replace Dickerson.
https://billypenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/eagles-nfc-celebrations-06-scaled.jpg
2025-01-23 18:41:27
