On Sunday morning, the shutdown of eastbound Lombardi Avenue took place. Westbound is still open, but one of the most important veins of traffic in the area is temporarily out of play, as the 2025 NFL Draft is now less than two weeks away.

If you use Lombardi everyday, and let’s be real, a lot of us do. This is going to be the toughest part of the road closure process. Yeah, we’ve known about this for months, but there is an excellent chance no one has wargamed this one until they actually have to drive it.

It’s going to test your patience. But like every part of this process, the goal is a successful NFL Draft that will benefit most of the greater Green Bay community.

But you’ve got to get to work. You’ve got to get to the store buy groceries. You’ve got to pick up the kids from school.

The options aren’t that great.

You could go down Military Avenue and swing down 9th or Mason. These roads will get the job done, but they’re not expecting the influx of traffic. You’ll still need some extra time.

You could go down Marlee Lane. But the Village of Ashwaubenon, where some residents have openly opposed the draft, don’t want you there. They’re not even helping out their local business with the closures (story HERE).

The answer with both of these options are time and communication.

Take the time to learn the new route. It’s an inconvenience but not a devastating detour.

And of course, communicate with your elected officials in both Green Bay and Ashwaubenon. They owe it to you to keep you informed, and to have the opportunity to engage with them moving into the future.