Memphis in May will keep Riverside Drive open longer as it prepares for the annual month-long Festival. Work on the Festival in Tom Lee Park began today, but Memphis in May officials plan to work in and around Tom Lee Park and keep Riverside Drive open to traffic as much as possible.
Jim Holt, President & CEO of Memphis in May said, “Keeping Riverside Drive open while work is underway in Tom Lee Park will benefit those who rely on this major thoroughfare to access their homes and their jobs. While our work schedule is critical to the success of the month-long Festival, being a good neighbor and keeping the inconvenience of the Festival to a minimum is a real responsibility of the Festival.”
During the Festival’s stay in Tom Lee Park, traffic on Riverside Drive will be diverted to two-way traffic with access to one lane northbound and one lane southbound beginning Saturday, April 28. The street will close completely beginning at 12:01 a.m on Thursday, May 3rd in preparation for the Beale Street Music Festival, May 4-6. The street will close from Georgia St. to Union Avenue. The street will re-open on Tuesday, May 8th at 12:01 a.m.
Riverside Drive will close again for the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on Wednesday, May 16th at 12:01 A.M. through Monday, May 21st at 12:01am, and again for Memphis in May’s finale, the Regions Sunset Symphony, at 12:01a.m. on Friday, May 25th and reopen at 12:01a.m. on Monday, May 28th.
