Street closures during St. Patrick's Day Parade today

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will take place Thursday at 11 a.m. in Manhattan.

The parade begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street. It ends on 5th Avenue uptown at 79th Street at around 4:30 p.m.

Senator George Mitchell will serve as the Grand Marshal.

Unlike last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio will attend the parade. He skipped the parade in 2014, when no gay groups were allowed to openly march, and he skipped again last year, when only one small lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group was permitted.

Some 2 million people lined the streets or participated in last year's parade.

The New York City Police Department the following street closures and anticipated traffic delay:

Formation:

- Vanderbilt Avenue between 43rd Street and 46th Street

- 43rd Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue

- 44th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue

- 45th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue

- 46th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue

- 47th Street between Park Avenue and 6th Avenue

- 48th Street between Park Avenue and 6th Avenue

- 5th Avenue between 42nd Street and 44th Street

Route:

5th Avenue between 79th Street and 44th Street

Dispersal:

- 5th Avenue between 86th Street and 79th Street

- 78th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue

- 79th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue

- 80th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue

- 81st Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue

- 82nd Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue

- 83rd Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue

- 84th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue

- 85th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue

- Madison Avenue between East 78th Street and East 86th Street

Miscellaneous closures:

- 62nd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue

- 63rd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue

- 64th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue

- 72nd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue

- Madison Avenue between 63rd Street and 64th Street

Metro-North and LIRR:

The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will operate extra trains to help those traveling to New York City for the 255th St. Patrick's Day Parade on Thursday, March 17.

Customers are advised not to bring alcoholic beverages, open or closed, on trains, platforms and stations through 5 a.m. on Friday, March 18. Alcoholic beverages will be confiscated by the MTA Police. Bar carts at Grand Central and Penn Station will not operate this day.

New York City subways:

At the 77th Street station on the 6 Subway line, near the parade's end point at 79th Street and Fifth Avenue, the NYPD may designate some staircases at the station as entry/exit only on both the uptown and downtown platforms for crowd control.

New York City buses

The following NYC Transit and MTA Bus routes will be detoured in the area along the parade route: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M31, M42, M50, M57, M66, M72, M79, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, Q32 and most Staten Island express buses.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels

MTA Bridges and Tunnels urges parade-goers to take mass transit. As always, motorists should never get behind the wheel of a car if they've been drinking. Throughout the day, there will be increased vigilance at all MTA crossings to combat drunk driving.

Visit MTA.info for more information.

RELATED STORIES:
St. Patrick's parade ends an era of exclusion for gay groups
Best cities to spend St. Patrick's Day
These are the best cities to celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Celebrate with these Irish words