As the countdown to the 2024 NFL Draft ticks away, Detroit is gearing up for the expected influx of hundreds of thousands of visitors. Described by Mayor Mike Duggan as a moment where dreams come true for athletes, construction for the main stage at Campus Martius began Tuesday, with the spectacle set to take over downtown Detroit from April 25 through April 27. Approximately 60 million viewers are also anticipated to join the event via broadcast as 257 young hopefuls step into the professional realm, according to The Detroit News.

As with all things that require large swathes of land in urban centers, road closures are an integral, albeit inconvenient, part of the equation. Starting Friday, March 29, motorists can say farewell to the convenience of traversing Randolph, Monroe, Farmer, and Bates streets uninterrupted until May 7. In a statement obtained by Detroit Free Press, Duggan detailed that these closures are the curtain-raiser for the larger NFL Draft theater about to be erected downtown.

The event, which is free to the public, leans heavily on the NFL OnePass app for admission; nonetheless, the NFL is inclusive enough to offer ambassadors on the ground for those living in the smartphone dark ages. "Getting into the footprint, all of that is 100% free," Alexis Wiley, Moment Strategies founder and former Duggan chief of staff, told Detroit Free Press.

Transportation won't be sweating you either; the Detroit People Mover and Q-Line are tossing their fair boxes out the window during the draft's entirety, offering free rides to attendees. Punctuating the draft's commitment to being a citywide spectacle, grandiose painted football cleat sculptures dubbed "DCLEATED" will be auctioned for charity, challenging the narrative that the NFL and art don't mix as was reported by Detroit Free Press.

Security won't be slacking off either; none other than the Detroit Police Department are canceling leaves en masse to ensure the city stays on the safer side of celebratory. "All police vacations and leave are canceled," Duggan stated emphatically, conveying an atmosphere of military precision in the approach to safety, as reported by Detroit Free Press. And the strategic details? Screening procedures in compliance with the clear bag policy and bomb sweeps by canines ahead of the draft have been laid out by local officials, who aim to render Detroit a fortress for football fans during the event, supporting information from WOODTV.