A major route for downtown Vancouver traffic will be blocked off to drivers next weekend for a major awards celebration.
A portion of the Georgia Viaduct will be transformed into a red carpet walk in preparation for the 2018 Juno Awards, the city announced Sunday.
The viaduct will be closed starting Friday at 9 p.m. as crews lay down red carpet and surrounding tents and viewing areas throughout the weekend, before the walkway opens on Sunday ahead of the awards ceremony at Rogers Arena.
The viaduct will then reopen at 3 a.m. Monday morning to ensure traffic is flowing during the morning commute.
The closure is an example of the lengths Vancouver is going to in order to put on an unforgettable Junos show, but some city councillors are questioning the timing of the announcement, which was released only a week before.
“We’ve seen the communications department at City Hall get larger and larger, but at the same time what I’m hearing more and more from the public is that there’s not proper consultation or communication,” NPA councillor Melissa De Genova said.
Notably, the city gave the public two weeks notice that the viaduct would be closed for 14 days during the filming of the superhero movie Deadpool in 2015.
The city recently approved a final community plan for the Northeast False Creek neighbourhood, which includes tearing down the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts — meaning next weekend’s closure could be a sign of commutes to come.
—With files from Kristen Robinson