It's billed America’s game, the annual event puts Army and Navy head to head on the gridiron. It's a match both teams prepare for all season long.
"What we do on the field is going to resonate with us for years to come,” said Army linebacker Andrew King. “People past and present, this is the game they look forward to."
"We want to beat each other up on Saturday, but once we all graduate we're gonna be standing, you know, hip to hip in battle,” Navy quarterback Toneo Gulley, said.
Navy has won a series record 14-straight games against Army. Saturday's game will be before a sell-out crowd with kick-off at 3 p.m. About 71,000 fans are expected to pack into M&T Bank Stadium to watch the contest, including President Elect Donald Trump. That means Secret Service will be on-hand, and security will be beefed up.
RELATED: Army-Navy game day forecast
"Any time a President or President Elect visits, there are extra security precautions and concerns that we are very, very familiar with here in Baltimore being so close to Washington DC, but rest assured, we're taking every precaution," said Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.
Extra officers will also be deployed downtown to make sure everything runs smoothly.
“It's not just the Baltimore Police Department, it's the Maryland State Police, it's our Federal law enforcement partners, so we are meeting around the clock to ensure that that Army-Navy environment is what it should be," Davis said.
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Add all that to Christmas events already happening in the Inner Harbor, and we are in for a lot of extra traffic on the roadways.
"We want people to be prepared, plan ahead, plan wisely,” said Baltimore Department of Transportation Spokesperson Adrienne Barnes. “We do expect high traffic volumes, conditions may be delayed, they're gonna be congested, there may be temporary road closures along your route, so just plan wisely and if you do not have to travel in that area please try to avoid it and use detour routes."
Here are the streets that will be shut down Saturday:
- Camden Street between Howard and Russell Streets – 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Eutaw Street between Pratt and Camden Streets – 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Hamburg Street between Russell and Leadenhall Streets – closed as needed
- Ostend Street between Warner and Sharp Streets – closed as needed
- I-395/MLK Ramp "D" to westbound Lee Street – closed from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Make sure you're aware of posted parking restrictions and residential permit parking areas because they will be strictly enforced and you will get a ticket.
A good way to avoid that headache is to consider taking public transit or grabbing an Uber. The service is offering promo codes for riders from today through midnight Sunday. Just enter code 'GOARMY16' or 'GONAVY16' to get $10 off one round-trip in the Baltimore area.
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