Extra holiday traffic around Westfield Santa Anita mall coinciding with the opening day of horse racing at neighboring Santa Anita Park will spark some road closures this Friday, Dec. 26. The Arcadia Police Department issued the following alert:
The mall can be accessed off Baldwin Avenue and Huntington Drive. Shoppers may see gate closures inside Gate 8 (north of JC Penney) and best times for arriving or departing the mall would be earlier in the morning, mid-afternoon, or evening hours, after the race track has closed. The majority of Race Track patrons leave between the hours of 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., so the following closures and restrictions will be in place during that time period:
BALDWIN AVENUE:
Traffic congestion between Huntington Drive & the 210 freeway
There will be No Parking on Baldwin Avenue between Hugo Reid and Huntington Drive from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
HUNTINGTON DRIVE:
There will be No Left Turns from E/B Huntington to N/B Baldwin Avenue (Left Turn Lanes will be Closed from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
There will be No Right Turns from W/B Huntington Drive to N/B Baldwin Avenue (Right Lane Closed from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
COLORADO PLACE: All Southbound lanes of Colorado Place will be closed at the intersection with Colorado Boulevard (closure in effect from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.). All traffic will be detoured onto E/B Colorado Blvd towards Santa Anita Avenue.
If you would like to avoid the traffic congestion in these areas, you are advised to use the following alternate routes:
ALTERNATE NORTH/SOUTH ROUTES:
Michillinda Avenue
Santa Anita Avenue
ALTERNATE EAST/WEST ROUTES:
Foothill Boulevard
Duarte Road
Santa Anita Race Track gates will open at 10 a.m. and the first post is at noon. Racing fans can access Gate 8 off Baldwin Avenue, however, other gates may be less congested. Suggested routes for easier access may include:
From the west or northbound on Baldwin Avenue, use Huntington Drive to Gate 3 at Holly Avenue.
From the south, use Santa Anita Avenue to Campus Drive for Gate 3 access, or to Huntington Drive for access to Gates 5 and 6.
From the east, use Huntington Drive or Colorado Boulevard/Place to access Gates 5 and 6.
Police officers will be manning traffic signals and certain intersections throughout the day. Traffic will be heavy and you should expect delays. Allow extra time for your travel and please be patient.
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