Metro Nashville Police officials released their plan for the NFL Draft in April. It will be the largest public special event ever held in Nashville, meaning police will have to pull out all the stops.
The event is expected draw more than 100,000 people to the downtown area during the first day alone on Thursday, April 25. It begins Thursday night and runs through Saturday April 27.
The main stage from which draft picks will be announced will be placed by the NFL at Riverfront Park and will face Broadway.
The department will station about 400 officers per day in the downtown area for security and traffic assignments. Officers and members of the MNPD’s professional support team will staff road closures for the 20th Annual St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon when thousands of runners will take to Nashville’s streets on Saturday morning, April 27.
Downtown road closures in anticipation of the NFL Draft will begin on Friday, April 5. They'll include:
- 1st Avenue from Demonbreun to Church Streets
- Broadway from 1st to 2nd Avenues
Friday, April 19:
- Broadway from 5th to 6th Avenues close at 11 p.m. - arch construction
- Broadway from 5th to 6th Avenues will reopen on Monday, April 22
Full closures for the NFL Draft will take effect at midnight on April 24 and involve the following:
- Broadway from 1st to 5th Avenues
- 1st Avenue through 5th Avenues between Commerce and Demonbreun Streets (4th Avenue will reopen each morning April 24th, 25th, & 26th for rush hour traffic and will reclose by 10 a.m. on those days).
During draft days:
- 2nd Avenue South will be setup as a two-way street from Demonbreun Street to Korean Veterans Boulevard
- Westbound lanes of Commerce Street will be setup as a two-way street between 4th and 2nd Avenues
- 4th Avenue North (after morning rush hours) will be setup as a two-way street between Commerce Street and Broadway
- 5th Avenue North will be setup as a two-way street between Commerce and Demonbreun Streets
Drop-off and pick-up locations for citizens, taxis and rideshare drivers will be:
- Broadway eastbound between 6th & 8th Avenues
- Broadway westbound between 7th & 8th Avenues
- 7th Avenue curb lanes next to Hume Fogg High School & the Masons Lodge
- South 1st Street from Nissan Stadium’s Lot T to PSC Metals
- Korean Veterans Boulevard parking cutouts
The MNPD and its law enforcement partners will participate in a news conference with NFL Draft and marathon safety information in mid-April.
