COVINGTON, KY - This year’s Western & Southern / WEBN Fireworks at Riverfest is set for Sunday, September 4, 2016 at the riverfront.
The annual event impacts Covington traffic flow and neighborhoods, so the City Covington and the Covington Police Department (CPD) want to provide residents, businesses and visitors with the following information to ensure a safe and orderly Covington.
All times listed are for September 4, 2016. The Riverfest Impact Area includes all streets north of East Fourth Street and west of Madison Avenue and West Rivercenter Blvd. from Johnson Street to Madison Avenue.
The CPD Command Center will be located at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, 1 W. Rivercenter Blvd.
Road Closures
All streets north of East Fourth Street and east of Madison Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic at 6 p.m. The Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge will be closed to all traffic beginning at 6 p.m. The Fourth Street Bridge to Newport will close at 8 p.m.
Madison Avenue will remain open to allow access to public parking lots and garages until they are full or 6 p.m., whichever occurs first. Once the parking lots and garages have reached full capacity, Madison Ave. will be closed to through traffic north of East Fourth Street. There are exceptions for TANK buses, invitation holders to the Metropolitan Club and hotel guests with room keys and parking passes.
Devou Park, Kenton Hills, and The Bluffs will have restricted traffic beginning at 2 p.m. Access to these areas will be restricted to residents and their guests only.
Streets inside of the Impact Area will not reopen and residents and guests will not be permitted to exit the Impact Area in a vehicle until the CPD Event Commander determines that it is safe to do so. This may be up to an hour after the fireworks are completed.
The safe evacuation of the pedestrian traffic leaving the Impact Area will be the first concern of CPD. Traffic movement will be coordinated as soon as all pedestrians have safely cleared the area.
Parking
The following areas within the Impact Area will be posted as “No Parking Tow Away Zones”. Vehicles parked in these areas will be towed starting at 7 a.m.:
- Riverside Drive (the entire street)
- Garrard Street between East Second Street and Riverside Drive
- Kennedy Street between East Second Street and Riverside Drive
- Shelby Street between East Second Street and Riverside Drive
- Scott Blvd. north of East Fourth Street (including parking meters)
- Greenup Street north of East Fourth Street (including parking meters)
- East Third Street east of Madison Avenue (including parking meters)
- Park Place (including parking meters)
- Court Street (including parking meters)
- Surface lots along the floodwall on Rivercenter Blvd. between Madison Avenue and Johnson Street and below the Roebling Suspension Bridge
- Grass areas in Devou Park
All vehicles parked in garages and parking lots located in the Impact Area will not be permitted to leave until pedestrian traffic has cleared and the CPD Event Commander has determined that it is safe for vehicle traffic.
Alcohol & Other Restrictions
Alcohol is prohibited on City property and in public places at all times. All coolers and beverage containers are subject to inspection by CPD officers and will be checked at designated checkpoints.
For guests attending private events, no alcohol is permitted in the Impact Area after 6 p.m. Anyone wishing to bring alcohol to a private event must have it in the Impact Area before 6 p.m. After 6 p.m., Police officers will not allow anyone with alcohol to enter the Impact Area.
Glass containers, bicycles, skateboards, pets, roller blades, roller skates, and fireworks are all PROHIBITED in the Impact Area. Motorized vehicles or scooters are not permitted on floodwalls. Swimming in both the Ohio and Licking Rivers is also prohibited during Riverfest.
Arrangements for handicapped access in the Impact Area can be made by visiting the CPD Command Center.
