[Archived] Alexandria Hosts Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade,

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 1, 2002

Alexandria Hosts Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade,

Police Advise of Street Closings and Parking Restrictions

On Saturday, March 2, Alexandria will host its 21th annual St. Patrick's Day parade along King Street in Old Town. Among the more than 2,000 parade participants will be the Alexandria Police Department's Honor Guard and Motorcycle Unit. To accommodate parade marchers and watchers, some streets in the Old Town area will be closed to vehicular traffic.

On Saturday, March 2, from the time the parade begins at 12:30 p.m., until the parade ends at approximately 3 p.m., no traffic will be allowed on the parade route, which runs eastbound on King Street from West Street to Fairfax Street. Additionally, congestion is anticipated as early as 9 a.m. in the area of King and West streets, as the parade assembly begins.

During the parade, Washington, Patrick and Henry streets will be periodically opened to north- and southbound traffic in an effort to ease congestion on the George Washington Parkway and Route 1. Many intersections in Old Town, including some on Duke, Prince, Washington, Patrick and Henry streets, will be controlled with flashing red and yellow traffic signals.

Parking in Old Town will also be restricted on Saturday, March 2, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., on the following streets:

100-1800 blocks of King Street

100 block of Harvard Street

100-200 blocks of South Peyton Street

100 block of North Peyton Street

100-200 blocks of Reinekers Lane

1600-1700 blocks of Prince Street

100 block of North Fairfax Street

Unit block of Oronoco Street

100-200 blocks of Pendelton Street

400-500 blocks of North Union Street

100 block of North Royal Street

300-400 blocks of Cameron Street

Police may authorize additional parking restrictions in Old Town as needed for traffic control, and residents are urged to take note of the temporary parking restriction signs which will be posted in their neighborhoods.

The 100 block of South Royal Street will be reserved for cars with handicapped parking permits or license plates. This area has also been reserved for members of the Alexandria Red Cross and media representatives covering the parade.

Parade participants and spectators are encouraged to take public transportation.

For more information about the St. Patrick's Day parade, please call the parade organizers at (703) 237-2199.

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