Midday World Cup match at MetLife prompts traffic planning and early school dismissals
State officials have outlined expected traffic hotspots, while local leaders continue to monitor conditions closely.
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The World Cup returns to MetLife Stadium tomorrow afternoon, bringing another wave of fans and traffic to the region.
France will take on Senegal in a weekday matchup expected to draw large crowds.
The game follows Saturday’s match, where more than 80,000 fans packed the stadium to watch Brazil and Morocco play to a 1-1 draw.
For drivers, the NJDOT put together a map to highlight the major highways where the most amount of traffic will be.
The city of Rutherford gave an update on how traffic was for the first game and said traffic on Route 17 and 3 was heavy but manageable 2 to 3 hours before the game.
State officials have outlined expected traffic hotspots, while local leaders continue to monitor conditions closely.
Now, with another major match set for the middle of the workday, transportation remains a key concern.
A reminder: Parts of New York Penn Station will be closed starting at 11 a.m. for Tuesday’s 3 p.m. match until 8 p.m., when the game ends. The closures allow fans who purchased the $98 round-trip ticket to take a train to the stadium.
The mayor of Rutherford says there were some unexpected challenges during the last match, including the closure of the Rutherford train station in the afternoon. Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco is now urging riders who purchased tickets for that station to contact NJ Transit about refunds.
Meanwhile, some schools are adjusting schedules to deal with the impact. Jersey City Public Schools will have an early dismissal at 12:45 p.m., with all after-school activities canceled. Officials say the move is aimed at keeping students safe and avoiding travel complications during peak traffic.
There are seven more matches scheduled at MetLife Stadium, including the FIFA World Cup Final on July 19.
