Oklahoma City will host a parade following the Thunder's first-ever NBA Championship.
The route will snake through Downtown before ending at Scissortail Park.
Mayor David Holt says the event will be a great way to showcase OKC.
"You'll see what's awesome about Oklahoma City in the half a million people watching," Holt said in a news conference in the lead-up to the event. "It's going to be an amazing moment unifying our city like we've never seen before."
Oklahoma City officials announced the parade will start at 10:30 am Tuesday, with a route that starts at the intersection of 10th Street and Harvey Avenue and end at Scissortail Park.
Before the parade starts, Thunder players and staff will participate in the Champions Opening Ceremony inside Paycom Center at 9 a.m. The event will be closed to the public but will be televised locally and streamed on the Thunder's YouTube channel.
The city anticipates that 500,000 people or more will attend the parade itself. Attendees should prepare for big crowds, long walks and hot conditions.
"We encourage parade attendees to make a plan for the day," City Manager Craig Freeman said in a statement. "Have at least one or two backup options for parking and arriving safely at the event. You may need to walk long distances to and from the parade route."
EMBARK is working to ease some traffic issues with a park-and-ride offering. Pickup will run from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and return trips will run from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Here are the park and ride locations:
Shuttle Parking: State Fair Lot - R Lot
Shuttle Drop-off/Return: Main & Lee (near SGA Mural)
Shuttle Parking: Remington Park West Lot (MLK Ave. & Remington Dr.)
Shuttle Drop-off/Return: Broadway between NW 7th & 8th
Shuttle Parking: Capitol Lot - South Lot (21st and Lincoln)
Shuttle Drop-off/Return: Broadway between NW 7th & 8th.
During the event, OKC's downtown transit center won't be available, so a temporary transit center will open up at the state fairgrounds.
After the parade ends, heavy traffic is expected to continue. Downtown Oklahoma City tells its members that parade cleanup will begin immediately following the conclusion of the event, however closures will remain in place until that's completed.
For more information on the parade route, visit the city's website set up for the event.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
