Presidential candidate Donald Trump will be in Hartford tonight and police are urging anyone attending the event to arrive early and for commuters to head home early or choose and alternate route.
Trump is expected to be at the Connecticut Convention Center at 7 p.m., Annika Deming, the communications manager at the venue said. Doors open at 4 p.m.
The event will be standing-room only and the hall can accomodate about 8,000 people. Tickets will be required and can be found on Trump's campaign website.
Police are warning commuters to expect traffic near the Connecticut Convention Center on this afternoon, during rush hour and later.
Delays are expected in the area of State Street, American Row, Columbus Boulevard and at the access to the Founders Bridge.
Hartford police will be spending $40,000 on extra manpower and security and their priorities will be making sure the area is safe, diverting traffic and handling crowd control.
The bomb squad will be out and every officer in the Hartford Traffic Division will be in the the area and police urge anyone attending the Trump event to arrive early and they ask commuters who expect to leave the city via Columbus Boulevard and the Founders Bridge area to leave early or choose an alternate route.
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Police said they will be working in tandem with Secret Service.
On Thursday, Trump opened his Connecticut headquarters in Berlin on the turnpike, just south of Route 9.
With Connecticut primaries looming at the end of the month, political candidates are spending their time and money to get the attention of the state's voters while delegates are still up for grabs.
"It's not surprising. Obviously, Connecticut is going to play a crucial roll in choosing the next President of the United States. Every vote will count because there are delegates up for grabs," JR Romano, the Connecticut Republican spokesperson said.
Republican John Kaisch was the first candidate to make a public appearance in the Nutmeg State last Friday.
As for Democratic candidates, Senator Bernie Sanders' campaign has spent $765,000 on ads for Connecticut TV stations and Hillary Clinton's spent $250,000, according to FCC filings.
"Donald Trump has run a campaign based on hatred and division. He has lied and insulted his way to the top of the Republican field. Trump's message may sit well with Chairman J.R. Romano and the base of Connecticut's Republican Party, but it will not sit well with Connecticut's women - who he has promised to punish if they seek an abortion, or with immigrants - who he has called rapists and murderers, or with Connecticut's Muslims - who he has promised to ban from entering the country," Connecticut Democrats said in a statement on Wednesday.
The state's primary is on April 26.
