Source: Altanta Journal Constitution

Traffic snarl: Concert, circus and wreck feed the chaos around the Georgia Dome.
Andrea Jones - Staff
Sunday • February 20

Vicki Gavalis, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Transportation, didn't have to consult with official sources Saturday night to say how bad traffic was downtown.

As one of an estimated 70,000 fans who gathered in the Georgia Dome for a 7:30 p.m. Backstreet Boys concert, she knew firsthand.

"I knew it was going to be bad from the start," said Gavalis, shouting into a cell phone over the din of screaming teenagers. "We left early and still got stuck."

Traffic on the Downtown Connector was backed up for miles in both directions , and major downtown streets were at a standstill as the throng poured in for the performance. It was billed as the largest musical show on record in the Georgia Dome.

"This was worse than the Super Bowl," said Wayne Chase, a limousine service owner from Stockbridge who ferried Henry County concertgoers to the city. "It was pretty much chaos."

Compounding the problem was the crowd heading to a 7:30 p.m. circus performance at Philips Arena, and an accident on the connector near I-20.

And when they arrived, some confused fans ended up in the adjacent line to get into the circus.

Nearly an hour after the Backstreet Boys were scheduled to take the stage, streams of fans continued to pour into the dome, most pausing breathlessly to ask attendants if they had missed any of the show.

Fortunately for them, the performance started late.

That was good news for Sarah Jacobs, who had been stuck in traffic for two hours. But she had a bigger problem.

"I drank three diet Cokes at dinner," she said laughing. "It doesn't matter if we're late. I just want to find a restroom."