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Officials Hoping Luke Bryan Concert Won't Leave Trail Of Trash

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Over 52,000 people are expected to pack Heinz Field Saturday for the Luke Bryan concert. It's his first stop on his tour and headlining debut at Heinz Field.

While there's plenty of excitement, preparations have been going on for about a year to make sure it's a safe, clean, fun event.

KDKA spoke with Jimmy Sacco, Executive Director of stadium management at Heinz Field, Friday. He says officials with Heinz Field have been working with ALCO Parking and Pittsburgh Police.

The concern came after last summer's Kenny Chesney concert. Thousands of fans packed the parking lots prior to the show to tailgate and left behind mounds of trash. Trash cans around the lots overflowed and portable toilets were overused.

"We did put some extra guidelines in this year. We all feel good about it. We're staffed up. There's plenty of police, plenty of paramedics," Sacco told KDKA's Heather Abraham.

Sacco says one improvement is an almost 50 percent increase in portable toilets. Both recycle and trash bags will be distributed as well throughout the parking lots around Heinz Field to tailgaters.

"We ask that you use them and gather your trash up so we can clean the lots up and make it a safe and happy environment for everybody," Sacco said Friday.

The parking lots have also been pre-sold to ticket holders and police will be patrolling the lots prior to and after the concert. Officials want to make sure that no one is in the lots after 7:30 p.m. still tailgating.

"If you don't have tickets and once the show begins, the city police will be asking you to leave the parking lots and not hang out," Sacco said.

Police will also patrol the lots afterwards, asking everyone to leave an hour after the concert ends.

Heinz Field officials say the NFL's bag policy will also be in place for the concert.

Gates open at 4 p.m. and the concert begins at 6 p.m.

For ALCO Parking's rules for Saturday, visit their website: http://www.alcoparking.com/concert.html.

Heinz Field also has their guidelines available here: http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Heinz-Field-Management-Issues-Advisory-for-Saturdays-Luke-Bryan-Concert/7cd98c01-7d05-4b7a-a7e5-28fdf18a4f7b

RELATED LINKS
Route 28 Construction To Cause Traffic Troubles This Weekend (6/20/14)
Kenny Chesney Concert Ends With Fights, Arrests, Huge Mess (6/23/13)
Steelers, Parking Lot Owners In War Of Words Over Kenny Chesney Concert (7/12/13)
More Reports by Heather Abraham

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