In preparation for the large crowds expected to gather at Lake Merritt over the Fourth of July holiday, the City of Oakland will set up temporary road closures to preserve emergency vehicle access and open up space for pedestrians.
Parking and traffic congestion on Lakeshore Avenue often causes double and triple parking on MacArthur Boulevard to East 18th Avenue, which limits fire trucks and ambulances' abilities to respond to emergencies quickly.
"This is often the result of too many cars in too little space; the temporary street closures are established to help deliver any needed emergency services to people at or around the Lake as swiftly as possible," reads a city press release.
From Sunday at 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., parts of Lakeshore Avenue and Grand Avenue, as well as all of El Embarcadero, will be closed.
Lakeshore Avenue will be closed from MacArthur Boulevard and East 18th Street, including Beacon Street, Boden Way, Brooklyn Avenue, Wayne Avenue and Hanover Avenue. No parking will be permitted.
The Lakeshore Avenue exit from 580 West will also be closed, but the Grand Avenue exit will stay open.
Grand Avenue will be closed from Macarthur Boulevard and Bellevue Avenue. Bellevue Avenue will be open from Grand to Perkins for parking and Fairyland visitors.
Grizzly Peak, a popular site for people to watch the fireworks, will also face road closures. Grizzly Peak Boulevard between Skyline Boulevard and Centennial Drive will be closed from 6 p.m. July 3 to 5 a.m. July 5.
A map of the closures can be found at https://www.oaklandca.gov/news/2022/city-of-oakland-prepares-to-support-large-crowds-visiting-lake-merritt-for-juneteenth-fourth-of-july-weekends.
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