How long does it take? 6 News tests parking options at Covenant Health Park
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — With less than a week until opening day at Covenant Health Park, fans are planning their trips to downtown Knoxville.
'We're looking forward to this,' season ticket holder Michael Johnson said. 'We live actually on the other side of Oak Ridge so kind of really looking to forward to this much shorter drive.'
What fans can expect at Covenant Health Park on Opening Day
The team's new location has fans wondering where they will park to get to the stadium. There are several garages downtown that are less than a mile walk from the stadium, including the Market Square garage, Locust Street garage, Dwight Kessel garage and the State Street garage.
6 News tested it out. It took us 13 minutes to walk the 0.7 miles from the State Street garage to Covenant Health Park.
What if you're not up for walking? Knoxville Area Transit is providing another option.
'We'll pick them up on Summer Place and we will provide transportation to them to the stadium on game days, and typically that shuttle starts about an hour and a half before games, on Saturdays it'll start two hours before games,' said Isaac Thorne with KAT.
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The shuttle will run every 10 minutes. Fans will be picked up on Summer Place in between the Summer Place garage and the Langley garage.
In each of these garages, you have the option to reserve a parking spot. During each game, there will be 450 spots reserved in the Summer Place garage and 650 reserved in the Langley garage. Fans can prepay $5 to reserve one of these spots, then walk down to the shuttle.
The shuttle is also accessible if you park in the Market Square or Locust Street garages.
A 6 News crew rode the shuttle, along with Johnson and his wife, during the shuttle's test run.
'We did pay for the parking over there in the garage,' Johnson said. 'So we definitely like that convenience, not having to think, 'where do we park?' and get down here and be in a panic. At least that we would know and have something established to be able to know we have a spot when we get there.'
The shuttle ride between Summer Place and the ballpark took just over five minutes.
No matter how fans plans to get to the game, they're ready to see the Smokies take the field in their new home.
'We're excited about being down here,' Johnson said.
Headed to Covenant Health Park? Here's where you can park
There will also be free parking in the West Magnolia Avenue parking lots and 70 free reserved ADA accessible parking spots in Old City Lot B across the street from the stadium.
The Smokies' first game at the new park is scheduled for April 15. This game will air on WATE Channel 6.
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