Thousands expected at Trump rally, protest as Wasilla prepares for traffic delays, road closures

What you need to know:

• Road closures are planned around the Menard Center in Wasilla on Tuesday as officials prepare for a rally featuring President Donald Trump and thousands of ticket holders.
• Trump is expected to travel by helicopter to Wasilla Municipal Airport and then by motorcade to the Menard Center. The airport will be closed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. Temporary flight restrictions will also be in effect, and most rally attendees will be required to arrive by shuttle bus.
• A protest is planned at Newcomb Park. City buildings will be closed, schools will remain open, and emergency officials are urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel through Wasilla.
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WASILLA – Mat-Su officials are bracing for traffic backups and logistical challenges Tuesday as the region gets ready to welcome its first-ever event with a U.S. president. 

President Donald Trump will host a political rally at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in support of Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich’s reelection campaigns. Doors open at noon, with Trump’s remarks scheduled to start at about 3:30 p.m.

The rally is expected to attract thousands of people to the Menard and a protest planned for Newcomb Park, about four miles down the road at Wasilla Lake. 

Security will be tight around the event center, Wasilla city officials said Monday. Trump is expected to arrive at Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson in Air Force One, fly into the Wasilla Municipal Airport by helicopter, then travel in a motorcade about one mile from the airport to the Menard. 

Clapp Street between Mack Drive and the Parks Highway and Beacon Street and Aviation Drive – both used for airport access – will also be closed to all vehicle and pedestrian access from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. 

The Wasilla Airport will be closed to all users from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. All individuals must leave airport property by 8 a.m. unless otherwise notified, Wasilla Public Works Director Erich Schaal said in an interview. 

Temporary flight restrictions will be in effect in Anchorage and Wasilla, including for drones, Alaska Department of Public Safety officials said in a release. 

Ticket and pass holders will receive Menard Center access information via email on a case-by-case basis, Wasilla Police Department officials said. Most attendees will be required to arrive via shuttle buses from a not-yet-announced staging area, they said.

Down the street at Newcomb Park, protestors may not park on the street and must stay within the park and avoid spilling out onto the roadway, city officials said. 

All City of Wasilla buildings will be closed Tuesday. Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District schools will be open, and a career and college fair originally planned for the Menard Center will be held instead at Wasilla High School. 

Matanuska-Susitna Borough emergency officials said residents should avoid traveling through Wasilla Tuesday unless they are attending the event. They said they have extra staff available to help clear accidents as needed. 

“I would recommend staying home unless it's critical that you have to go somewhere,” said Ken Barkley, the borough’s emergency services director.

-- Alaska Public Media reporter Wesley Early contributed to this report.