GADSDEN – Motorists and boaters planning to attend Gadsden’s Independence Day celebrations should prepare for several road, bridge, and river closures associated with the holiday festivities.

The most significant traffic impact will be the closure of Highway 411/Rainbow Drive from South 3rd Street, near Chili’s, to Walnut Street. The closure will begin at 6 a.m. on Friday, July 3, and remain in effect until 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 5.

The Memorial Bridge on Broad Street will close at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, for the city’s fireworks display and will reopen shortly after the show concludes.

Officials also advise motorists that Broad Street will experience additional closures and heavy traffic during the downtown First Friday festivities.

To help improve traffic flow, all traffic signals along Broad Street and Chestnut Street from 1st Street through 7th Street will operate as flashing red signals and function as four-way stops.

Boaters should also be aware that the Coosa River will be closed to water traffic from the area near Buffalo Wild Wings to the Meighan Bridge beginning at 8:30 p.m. on July 4 until after the fireworks display.

The City of Gadsden encourages residents and visitors to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and follow all posted detours and directions from law enforcement officers.

For detailed maps and the latest traffic updates, visit the City of Gadsden’s official Alert Center at: https://cityofgadsden.com/AlertCenter.aspx