Expect heavy traffic: Microsoft meeting is Thursday at Safeco Field

Because more than 22,000 people are expected to attend Thursday's Microsoft annual meeting at Safeco Field, morning and afternoon peak-hour traffic is likely to be impacted, particularly on streets around the ballfield and on the Interstate 90 exit ramp to Fourth Avenue South.

Hundreds of charter buses transporting meeting attendees will be exiting Interstate 5 at the South Forest Street offramp, and buses will head north on Sixth Avenue, then west on South Holgate Street to unloading areas.

The Fourth Avenue South freeway offramp will be used mainly by cars heading to Safeco Field and Qwest Event Center garages, and traffic near garage entrances is expected to be extremely heavy. Both parking facilities are expected to fill to capacity.

The meeting is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., but heavier traffic should be noticed up to a couple of hours earlier. Traffic after the meeting is likely to extend throughout the afternoon.