Augusta Unveils New Traffic Plan for Masters Week to Ease Congestion
Augusta implements new parking rules and traffic patterns to ease congestion during Masters Week.
Augusta officials rolled out changes to parking rules and traffic patterns for Masters Week at a press conference on Wednesday. The plan brings stricter lot access hours and fresh pedestrian crossings ahead of next month's tournament.
Parking lots won't open before 6 a.m. They'll close to all vehicles and foot traffic between midnight and 6 a.m.
The eastbound on-ramp at Washington Road off I-20 will close at 7 a.m. each tournament day, redirecting traffic to Riverwatch Parkway and Alexander Drive to keep congestion off Washington Road.
Officials can shut down Alexander Drive if backups spill onto Riverwatch Parkway. The closure has happened at least once or twice per tournament in past years.
Left turns from Berckmans Road onto Washington Road will be banned during egress to improve outbound traffic. The restriction lets three vehicles clear the intersection for every one left-turning vehicle. An agreement with the railroad ensures trains won't operate during times that would impact traffic near the course.
Several changes are new this year. Southgate will open in addition to Northgate for the first time during the Women's Amateur, meaning a full Masters traffic plan will be in effect on Saturday. A temporary traffic signal will go up at River Ridge, across from Gate A1, to manage pedestrian crossings on Washington Road.
A designated ride-share lot will sit at the southwest corner of Washington Road and Burtman's Road. The lot will be accessible through the Publix entrance only.
Avoid entering "Augusta National" into mapping apps, which can route drivers down Magnolia Lane. A QR code on patron mailers links to a GPS coordinate at the center of the parking area and works with Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze.
