Officials on both sides of the Ohio River are gearing up for the region's Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks Sunday.
The event draws thousands every year to the banks of the Ohio River. With all of those people come special traffic closures and rules about what you can and can't bring.
Attendees can begin setting up tarps or blankets along the river at 3 p.m. Sunday. Officials say anything set up before that time will be removed. You can't use duct tape or objects like stones to secure the tent, but lighter tape like masking tape is OK.
Bridge closures
The Purple People Bridge between Newport and Cincinnati will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists Sunday starting at 8 a.m. as crews prepare the fireworks displays. It will reopen at 2 a.m. Sept. 1.
The Roebling, Taylor Southgate, and Clay Wade Bailey Bridges across the Ohio River will be closed to vehicle traffic starting at 6 p.m. except for local access to 471, which will close at 7 p.m.
Pedestrians can cross Taylor Southgate until 7:30 p.m. and the Clay Wade Bailey until 8 p.m.
Ohio closures
On the Ohio side of the river, access to Cincinnati's riverfront south of Third Street will be open to pedestrians only. All streets north of Third Street will remain open to vehicles.
In addition, the Third Street exits from Columbia Parkway westbound and I-71 southbound will close at 9 p.m., when the fireworks are scheduled to begin.
Kentucky closures
The Fourth Street Bridge between Covington and Newport will close to traffic at 8 p.m.
In Covington: all streets north of East Fourth Street from Madison Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic starting at 6 p.m.
Madison Avenue will remain open until 6 p.m. or until parking lots and garages are full.
Access to Devou Park, Kenton Hills, and The Bluffs will be limited to neighboring residents and their guests starting at 2 p.m. Sunday.
In addition, there are numerous areas around the riverfront where parking will be prohibited.
Covington officials expect roads will reopen about an hour after the fireworks wrap up at roughly 9:30 p.m.
In Newport: Riverboat Row (west of Port of Entry to Dave Cowens Dr.) and Columbia Street (north of 3rd Street) will close at 8 a.m. Sunday.
Monmouth Street (from 3rd to 11th), Dave Cowens Drive, and 10th Street (between Saratoga and York St.) will close at 7:30 p.m.
Ohio River & Licking River closures
Parts of the Ohio River and the Licking River will be a "No Wake Zone" or closed entirely at certain points during the weekend:
No Wake Zone from 12 p.m. Sunday through 3 a.m. Monday:
- Ohio River: mile 477 (Anderson Ferry) to mile 463 (mouth of the Little Miami River just north of Four Seasons Marina)
- Licking River: mile 0 to mile 0.3 (Ohio River to 4th St. Bridge)
River closure from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday:
- Ohio River: mile 469.2 (just upriver of the Big Mac Bridge) to mile 470.5 (Roebling Suspension Bridge)
- Licking River: mile 0 to mile 0.3 (Ohio River to 4th St. Bridge)
Learn more about closure rules and designated anchorage areas on the WEBN event website.
What not to bring and do
Rules may differ slightly depending on where you're watching from.
Generally speaking, you're not allowed to bring alcohol, weapons, pets, large bags, or coolers.
You can find a detailed rundown of street closures, no-parking zones and rules for the Covington riverfront on the city of Covington's website.
More details about Newport's street closures and traffic directions after the fireworks are on the city of Newport's website.
The city of Cincinnati is directing people to the official Western Southern/WEBN Fireworks information page.
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