Downtown shuts down for big XLVI party

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - More than 200,000 people were on Georgia Street in the Super Bowl Village Friday night, the Host Committee reported in a Saturday morning briefing.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police say they, along with Indiana State Police, sent extra officers to certain areas, specifically Georgia and Maryland streets.

Officers closed additional streets as the massive crowd turned into human gridlock downtown.

IMPD reported 11 people were hurt in the massive crowds Friday night. There injuries were not reported to be serious.

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With one of the biggest bands yet set to take the stage Friday night in Super Bowl Village, the massive crowds - an estimated 35,000 people in the areas around the stage - were prompting safety officials to move more officers into the area and close additional streets down.

The Department of Public Safety said all traffic inbound into downtown was being diverted as of about 10:15 p.m. The following streets specifically were closed to facilitate pedestrian movement:

• East Maryland at West Street
• Southbound West at Washington Street
• Westbound Washington at Pennsylvania
• Meridian closed Southbound at Ohio
• Eastbound Maryland at Illinois diverting north bound
• Pennsylvania and South
• Meridian and South
• Illinois and South
• Delaware and South
• Market and Capitol
• Capitol and Washington
• The Circle is also completely closed to vehicle traffic

24-Hour News 8 staff in the WISH-TV Studio at The Huddle report gridlock on the street, as well as trouble getting cell phone signals out. But as of shortly after 10, emergency officials reported no major injuries or incidents.

"It took us one hour and fifteen minutes to walk two blocks," one of the people in the crowd, Phil Carlton, told 24-Hour News 8 reporter Adrienne Broaddus.

IMPD officers are armed with sniper-like guns - that look similar to paintball guns - loaded with pepper spray to contain the crowd if things get out of control. Steel gates were also in place to keep people from rushing the stage. LMFAO is set to perform at 9:30 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Public Safety director Frank Straub said the department was r eady to deal with big crowds .

"We have the ability to move people off to the sides if need be. We've created some corridors down each side of the street where we can have public safety personnel, fire fighters, paramedics, EMTs and police officers moving up and down on the sides of the street,” Straub said.

Some in the crowd said the experience made it all worth it.

• ONLINE EXTRA | Take a look at more photos of the crowd

Indianapolis resident Rachelle Irish braved the crowds with her three children, ages 12, 6 and 5.

“The atmosphere is awesome,” she said.

She was trying various techniques to stay with her children, including putting one child on her shoulders and creating a human chain by holding hands.

It was a common sight throughout the congested Super Bowl Village – large groups of people holding hands to navigate crowds. But around 9 p.m., the crowds got to a point where people stopped moving, even if they wanted to.

Hector Navarro, of Avon, was with a group of five people in the Village. He grew up in the Bronx and is cheering for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. The crowds in Indianapolis didn't surprise him.

"Whenever you get free concerts, you know you're going to have this many people," Navarro said.

The key to his group of give staying together: "Holding on really tight," Navarro said, gripping the shirt of another in his group.

Navarro said the area where was standing was "tolerable." Pointing to Georgia and Meridian streets, he said it's a different story near the stage.

"Once you get to a certain point, that's it," he said, adding it's impossible to move.

Greg and Shelby Shamblin, New Palestine, said they went to the Village for a less popular band, but planned to stay for LMFAO. They were going to leave before the set was over to try to avoid some of the crowd leaving. They said they’ve never seen a crowd like Friday night’s in Indianapolis.

“I go to the Kentucky Derby every year and it’s the only thing that comes close,” Greg Shamblin said.

The Shamblins said it was worth battling the crowd to get to enjoy part of the Super Bowl fun.

Our crew will continue to monitor the situation and bring you updates.