Final preparations are underway for former President Donald Trump’s political rally in Northeast Georgia tonight. Trump will be in Commerce stumping for GOP candidates in the upcoming Georgia primary. Several of those candidates are expected to speak at the event including former Sen. David Perdue, who is campaigning for governor, and former Georgia Bulldogs star and U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker, according to the program’s itinerary.
The rally will also feature remarks from Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Andrew Clyde, and Jody Hice, who is running against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in a May primary.
The ticketed event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Banks County Dragway located in the Banks Crossing area along the borders of Banks and Jackson counties. Gates open at 2 p.m.
Visitors to the area should expect a heavy police presence, detours, and traffic delays. Law enforcement will be shifting traffic patterns to include some road closures, the Banks County Sheriff’s Office says.
“Please plan ahead and use alternate routes of travel into or around the Banks Crossing area if necessary,” the agency says.
The following roads will be closed before and during the rally:
- Falukner Road – East Ridgeway to Commerce Café Closed
- Faulkner Road – East Ridgeway to US 441 beginning at 1 p.m.
These roads will be closed after the event:
- East Ridgeway to Steven B Tanger – One way only moving toward US 441
- Steven B Tanger to US 441 – One way to US 441 South
- East Ridgeway to Ridgeway Church Rd – Single lane of traffic from event site
- Ridgeway Church Rd to Steven B Tanger – Closed until traffic returns to normal volume
Those not attending the rally are encouraged to detour around Banks Crossing using the following routes:
- Southbound on US 441 driving to Athens HWY 164 to Harden Bridge Road to Highway 59
- Northbound on US 441 Driving to Baldwin/Cornelia: Highway 59 to Harden Bridge Road to Highway 164
Officials advise that drones will not be allowed at the rally. The Secret Service, in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has established flight restrictions in airspace around the rally site.
Besides the presence of federal agents, a Georgia State Patrol spokesman said Thursday that troopers will be on-site to assist, while the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported it is bringing in the Special Operations Unit to work the rally.