With hours to prepare for crowds reaching 14,000 people, the Civic Center and surrounding areas likely will be congested before and during Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's rally today.
Jim Smith, assistant general manager at the Civic Center, said the parking garages on Lee and Quarrier streets will be open for visitors, as well as the Charleston Town Center parking garage.
Charleston Police Lt. Tony Hazelett said there will be "minimal" road closures today as Trump's motorcade arrives.
"The closures may be 15 or 20 minutes, tops, but we're not diverting traffic or anything," Hazelett said.
During the event, he said, traffic flow will remain normal.
He would not specify which streets would be temporarily closed because that would identify the motorcade's route.
Despite a history of violence between Trump supporters and protesters at his rallies, police aren't expecting things to get out of hand in Charleston.
Lt. Scot Blankenship, special events coordinator for the department, said the Secret Service has been working closely with law enforcement to ensure public safety.
"We don't really expect any type of protest that would be similar to what we saw in California," Blankenship said. "There's always going to be opposition. We just don't expect it to be that organized or have that many people involved."
As of Wednesday afternoon, officials did not identify any specific location outside the event for protesters to congregate, although it had been discussed, Hazelett said.
"That could change, but we wouldn't expect it to, at this point," he said.
Anna Campbell, the Civic Center's marketing director, said the Trump campaign has instructed officials to direct all inquiries with regard to the event to his website, www.donaldjtrump.com. Tickets can be obtained via a form there.
The rally begins at 7 p.m., and the doors open at 4 p.m.
No posters, banners or signs may be brought into the event, according to the website. Professional cameras with a detachable lens, tripods, monopods, selfie sticks or GoPros also are prohibited.
Kanawha County Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Humphreys said Wednesday that the office's bomb squad is coordinating with the Secret Service to assist with securing the event.
"That is standard procedure whenever a high-profile candidate comes to town," Humphreys said.
While deputies also will assist with the event, no patrol officers will be pulled from their shifts, he said.
Officers from the Charleston Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department were in talks with the Secret Service on Wednesday.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will speak at the South Charleston Community Center, on Jefferson Road, at 3 p.m.
"It's still kind of an evolving scenario," South Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens said. "If someone is not interested in attending the event, we recommend diverting away from the area."
South Charleston Police Chief Brad Rinehart said that, while there will be no formal street closures, drivers should avoid Jefferson Road from 11 a.m. until about 5 p.m.
"We're gonna be flooded with probably 2,000 or more people," Rinehart said.
Mullens said Sanders would speak for about an hour.
He said drivers will be permitted to turn only left out of the recreation center's parking lot after the event.
"We're diverting all traffic to Route 60. The interstate is that way," Mullens said. "That's the best traffic flow in and out of the city."
South Charleston officers will be stationed at nearby intersections to help navigate traffic after the event.
"Our main role in support of the Secret Service will be traffic flow," Mullens said.
Sanders will speak at the center's basketball arena, which holds about 1,500 people, Mullens said.
Additional room on the court will provide enough space for up to 2,300 people, he added.
It was unclear Wednesday how police might be preparing for protesters at either event.
Kanawha County Schools issued a notification late Wednesday that five area schools would be dismissing early Thursday because of the candidate visits.
Bridgeview Elementary will dismiss at noon, Capital High will dismiss at 1 p.m., Ruffner Elementary will dismiss at 12:30 p.m., South Charleston High will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., and South Charleston Middle will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.
Commuters also should be aware of a prayer rally being led by the Rev. Franklin Graham at noon on the state Capitol's South Plaza.
All lanes of Kanawha Boulevard between Greenbrier Street and California Avenue will be closed from 6 a.m. until at least 2 p.m., according to a news release from the West Virginia Capitol Police.
The prayer rally, which is part of Graham's "Decision America Tour," is expected to draw thousands of people.
Piedmont Road, which runs north of the Capitol Complex campus, will serve as a detour route while that section of Kanawha Boulevard is closed.
Lawrence Messina, assistant secretary of the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, said the rally is unlikely to be moved indoors if it rains.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.