CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — We are officially three days away from Thunder Over Louisville.
Over in southern Indiana, both Jeffersonville and Clarksville are preparing to safely welcome the thousands of visitors who plan to watch the show from their side of the Ohio River. But first responders are warning that things will look a lot different this year due to ongoing construction.
There is currently a long stretch of closures under the second street bridge predominantly on River Road. This will limit parking along the river bank. Southern Indiana officials are urging all visitors to have a plan to navigate heavy traffic.
"I will remind everyone that there are tens of thousands of people that come to southern Indiana over the course of the entire day," Major Joshua Lynch, the incident commander at the Jeffersonville Police Department, said.
On Friday evening, after the practice airshow, there will be partial road closures on Riverside Drive from Southern Indiana Avenue to Clark Street. JPD said there will be no parking in that area in order to allow businesses and restaurants to set up for the event.
On Saturday morning all closures will be locked down. The 100 blocks of Clark Street, Pearl Street, Spring Street, Wall Street and Locust Street will be closed and under surveillance.
The department is publicly warning everyone about the consequences of not following their parking directions.
"At 8 a.m. on Saturday those vehicles will be impounded," Lynch said. "We need to make sure those roads are clear for the event area."
Over in Clarksville, Ashland Park is one of the most popular spots visitors flock to in order to view the show, but as of Wednesday a big portion of River Road that runs right through the area is under heavy construction.
"We were shooting to get it done before Thunder," Ken Conklin, the communications director for the Town of Clarksville, said. "Couldn't make it happen, so unfortunately there's going to be some traffic adjustments this year. The construction zone is kind of from Widow's Walk Ice Creamery to the Second Street Bridge."
Fences are going up as a safety precaution around the gravel road and heavy machinery, but you will still be able to access the park through detours.
"With this closure, what about access to food vendors?" Conklin said. "A majority of food vendors are over in Jeffersonville. We're happy to report we are going to have at least 20 food vendors over on the Clarksville side."
Although the focus for first responders is fun, they said it's also safety for all families and visitors of southern Indiana.
"Watch for debris along the river bank," Justin Ames, a sergeant with the Jeffersonville Fire Department, said. "We're going to work hard as a city to clean up as much as we can with the river being flooded right now. Currents and the murky water, if your child falls in it could be a dangerous situation."
The Red Cross will be have two stations along the river for any medical assistance. They will be stationed at Ashland Park and under the pedestrian walking bridge near the floodwall in Jeffersonville.
Ames also encourages parents take precautionary steps when it comes to your children.
"Take a picture of your child that morning sop that if your child does become lost we will have a perfect description of what they're wearing and what they look like," Ames said. "Another thing that we've seen in the past is that parents will take a marker and put their phone number on their child."
Lost children will be taken to the Red Cross points if they are found to be without their parent.
The Coast Guard is keeping a close eye on the river levels ahead of Thunder, as of Wednesday it's just under 21 feet. The river is creeping up on Waterfront Park's Great Lawn and the Belle of Louisville's wharf.
The Coast Guard said that they will have a meeting tomorrow to discuss safety plans. They said it's supposed to drop down to 16 feet by Saturday, but that's not including the rain that we're supposed to get in the next two days.
So make sure your navigation plan follows all precautions so you can enjoy one of the largest fireworks show in the country.
The public is encouraged to monitor Jeffersonville Police Department's social media for the latest updates on closures.
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