Will take time to clean up, return to normal after successful NFL Draft

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Philadelphia spent three days in its glory. The eyes of the world were on us Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the NFL Draft and also the NFL Draft Experience – that free football festival held along the half-mile stretch of Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

According to the NFL, a record 250,000 people participated in its first-of-its-kind 3-day outdoor football festival. Such success means there’s no doubt the NFL will want to repeat these draft events in the future and it likely won’t be Philadelphia’s last time hosting.

You know how long the setup took. Now comes time for the cleanup, restoring the Ben Franklin Parkway to its beauty, and getting life around the Art Museum back to normal -- and it won't be quick.

FOX 29’s Jennifer Joyce reported the massive cleanup started overnight, along with taking down everything that had been put up.

The NFL Draft and NFL Draft Experience included equipment, fences, gates, port-o-potties and much, much more.

Jennifer noticed tables have been stacked and the gates at 22nd Street were removed.

ROAD REOPENINGS:

Phase 4 and 3 road closures should be open again by 5am Monday, in time for rush hour:

   --21st Street from Winter Street to Spring Garden Street
  --22nd Street from Race Street to Spring Garden Street
  --23rd Street from Fairmount Avenue to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
  --24th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Park Towne Place
  --MLK Drive at Sweet Briar Drive
  --Kelly Drive from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Fairmount Avenue
  --Spring Garden Street Bridge at 31st Street
  --Spring Garden Street from 22nd Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
  --Pennsylvania Avenue from Hamilton Street to Fairmount Avenue
  --Pennsylvania Avenue/Callowhill Street from 20th Street to 21st Street
  --Park Towne Place from 22nd Street to 24th Street
  --I-676 westbound 22nd Street off-ramp
  --These streets west of 22nd Street: Wallace Street, Mt. Vernon Street, Green Street, Judson Street and Brandywine Street
   --Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 20th Street to the Art Museum.
   --Kelly Drive to Fairmount and Pennsylvania avenues

Phase 2 road closure should be open again by Tuesday, May 2 before midnight:

   --Inner lanes (inbound and outbound) of Benjamin Franklin Parkway closed from Eakins Oval to 20th Street.

Phase 1 road closures shouldbe open again by Sunday, May 7 before midnight:

   --Spring Garden Street westbound at Pennsylvania Avenue.
   --All lanes on the westbound center Parkway roadway from 20th Street to Eakins Oval.
   --The right two lanes of Eakins Oval in front of the Art Museum steps.
   --All lanes on southbound Kelly Drive between 25th Street and the Parkway.

Parking restrictions will be removed but as always, pay close attention to signs.

  --Pennsylvania Avenue between 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue (south side of street only)
  --Winter Street between 20th and 22nd streets (both sides of street)
  --20th Street between Vine and Callowhill streets (east side of street only)
  --21st Street between Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Race Street (both sides of street)
  --22nd Street between Winter and Spring Garden streets (both sides of street)
  --Park Towne Place between 22nd and 24th Streets (both sides of street)
  --2400 Pennsylvania Avenue (south side angle parking only) through Monday, May 8

SEPTA reports bus routes should be getting back to normal – mostly Sunday morning and Monday night, but also through next Tuesday, May 9:
 --9am, Sunday, April 30: Routes 38 and 43 on Anne d'Harnoncourt Drive between Kelly Drive and Spring Garden Street, behind the Art Museum.
 --9pm on Monday, May 1: Routes 7, 32 and 48 around the Parkway, from 21st Street to the Art Museum.
 --End of Service next Tuesday, May 9: Routes 38, 43 and 27 at Eakins Oval, MLK Drive and in front of the Art Museum.

Fox29.com has lots of links to the Eagles draft performance. Click here for the NFL’s grades for all 32 teams for each of the 3 days, plus overall. The NFL gave the Eagles an A for Thursday, a B+ for Friday, an A for Saturday and an A- overall. Go to our Facebook page and let us know what you think.