MANSFIELD — The annual Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival on the grounds of the historic Ohio State Reformatory brings together some of the biggest musical acts in the world.
Headliners this year include Limp Bizkit, Pantera and Slipknot, along with many other international/national recording acts.
Inkcarceration also attracts 25,000 music fans per day during the three-day festival at 100 Reformatory Road on the city’s north side.
That kind of audience means many great things for local businesses, according to Lee Tasseff, president of Destination Mansfield-Richland County. He has said Inkcarceration means about $10.5 million annually to the local economy.
But the festival, scheduled for July 14-16, also means a great influx of traffic on U.S. 30 and streets on the city’s north side, according to Mansfield police.
The department issued an advisory on Saturday cautioning local motorists and residents to be ready for road closures and traffic delays before, during and after the event.
Olivesburg Road/Ohio 545 will be closed during the festival, beginning Friday, July 14, at 8 a.m. until Monday, July 17, at 4 a.m.
Police also said there will be temporary road closures and traffic lane changes during each night of the show for egress out of the parking lots off of North Main Street/Ohio 13 and on Fifth Avenue at U.S. 30.
Due to the high volume of traffic, delays in the area surrounding the site of the event are expected to occur during this same time period, police said.
The areas most impacted by delays are expected to be:
— Ohio 13 north of Harker Street to Harrington Memorial Road.
— Ohio 545 between Wayne Street and Piper Road.
— East Longview Avenue between North Main Street and Olivesburg Road.
— U.S. 30 between U.S. 42 and North Trimble Road — in both directions.
Police recommend local motorists take an alternate route to avoid the expected traffic congestion in these areas during the festival.
