Pittsburgh is ready to lift the curtain on the 2026 NFL Draft. The event brings several road closures, and numerous roads have already shut down — and more are on the way.
The draft is scheduled to take place from April 23–25 at Acrisure Stadium, the home of the Steelers, while the fan experience will be stationed across the Allegheny around Point State Park. Since March, Pittsburgh officials have been blocking traffic in some areas near the stadium as the Steel City prepares for an estimated influx of 500,000 to 700,000 football fans in the city.
April 22 brings 17 new closuresThese are all the areas to avoid.
Certain streets in both Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore will temporarily close to vehicle traffic. The goal, according to Visit Pittsburgh, is to provide a safe and walkable "Draft Campus" while balancing the needs of the community and the buzz of the event.
From April 22–25, the following roads will close for the draft:
North Shore Drive from Chuck Noll Way to Mazeroski Way
Liberty Avenue/PPG Paints Arena Exit off Fort Pitt Bridge
Three roads closed on March 28, with another round of closures taking place on April 13. Both sets of streets near Acrisure Stadium were scheduled to reopen on April 21. The reopenings include:
Parking will be available in Downtown Pittsburgh and in Station Square garages. Visitors can also use public transit, like the Gateway Clipper or the "T" light rail system.
Parking can be reserved ahead of time through platforms like ParkWhiz, and the ParkPGH app and website can provide users with real-time updates on parking availability.
Pittsburgh Public Schools will swap to remote learning from April 22 through April 24, according to a report by ESPN.
The goal, PPS Superintendent Wayne N. Walters said in a statement, is to maintain "continuity of learning while recognizing the extraordinary circumstances the city will experience during the NFL Draft."
Events scheduled during the NFL Draft will be split across the Allegheny River, with the Draft Theater and Main Stage set to be located on the North Shore in the area outside Acrisure Stadium, according to Visit Pittsburgh.
The NFL Draft Experience, a free fan festival, will take place at Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh.
It's free to attend the draft, but attendees must register for free access to the draft campus ahead of time through the NFL OnePass app or on the NFL's website.
Multiple channels will broadcast the draft, including NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The draft will be available for streaming on NFL+.
Another set of roads will close on Sunday, April 26, the day after the NFL Draft wraps up. Streets closing April 26 through May 1 include:
A few roads near Acrisure Stadium will close in the early parts of May following the NFL Draft.
From May 7–10, three more streets will be blocked to vehicle traffic. These include:
Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker. Instagram: @finchwalker_.