What you need to know about Luke Bryan’s Central Valley concerts

CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Luke Bryan is in the Central Valley. Thursday night, he will take the Castle Airport stage in Atwater for his Farm Tour. Afterward, he will make his way down to Fresno County, where he will perform in Clovis. 

In Atwater, the gates open at 5 p.m. and the concert begins at 6 p.m. 

Both Merced and Fresno counties are each expecting about 20,000 Luke Bryan lovers to attend the concerts.

“At 9 p.m., there’s going to be a hard closure at Schaefer and Santa Fe. We’re going to have a hard closure at Franklin and Santa Fe. However, Franklin and Santa Fe is going to be the designated pickup spot post-concert,” said Merced County Lt. Steve Bassi.

Also, at 9 p.m., there will be ramp closures at the Atwater Expressway. The southbound on-ramp will be closed, as well as the northbound and southbound off-ramps.

“The folks that are not the concert goers, I would tell them, the public, avoid Santa Fe at all costs,” Lt. Bassi expressed.

Drivers can expect Merced County law enforcement to be stationed at major intersections to assist with traffic control.

In Fresno County, CHP Public Information Officer Mike Salas says there will be up to 30 additional CHP officers on patrol in the Harlan Ranch area.

“Here on 168, we have a really good plan to bring the crowd in onto Owens Mountain Parkway, which is just right adjacent to Harlan Ranch. That traffic is going to be funneled right into the parking area, which will be directly adjacent to the concert arena,” Salas explained. 

The parking lot opens at 2 p.m. If you did not buy your parking pass with your concert tickets, it will be $40 at the gate. 

A designated rideshare, drop-off, and pick-up zone will be located on Thompson Avenue. While the extra patrol will help the flow of traffic, they’re also on the watch for drivers under the influence.

“It’s a 100% zero tolerance. We are going to take every enforcement action there is against those that choose to be irresponsible, get behind the wheel impaired,” added Salas.

Officers in Atwater and Clovis anticipate a long night for everyone. So, they ask you to please pack your patience, it could take up to an hour or more just to get out of the area. All road closures and traffic congestion are expected to wrap up around 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.