1,000 prepare Indianapolis for Super Bowl

The Super Bowl may only last about four hours, but the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee has been prepping the city for four years.

Approximately 1,000 employees — both volunteers and paid committee members — have worked with the city and state to bring music, attractions and food to the city before the big game.

“We started with the big picture, then moved into the planning stage and now we’re executing,” said Dianna Boyce, director of communications for the host committee. “Now we’re making them happen. We’re in the red zone. We see the goal line, but there’s still 20 yards to go. There are still things we need to accomplish. We haven’t quite scored yet.”

Next week, volunteers chosen to help during the lead-up to the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 will pick up their uniforms, signs and banners, Boyce said.

The city will also begin to visibly change — with tents being erected and more than 50 signs being put into place to help direct traffic.

The Indianapolis Department of Public Works will assist the committee in restricting different routes and streets in the city from Jan. 19 to Feb. 6.

Boyce said it is important for anyone traveling — from Bloomington or elsewhere — to check online and plan their trips accordingly.

“Even if you’re familiar with Indianapolis, it’s going to be different,” Boyce said. “The route you know may not even be available.”

Boyce said the committee anticipates that about 150,000 people will arrive in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, many of whom will not actually attend the game.

For all visitors to the city, there are concerts, events, food and the longest temporary zip-line in the United States.

The Super Bowl Village, which is free and open to the public, opens Jan. 27 on Georgia Avenue in downtown Indianapolis.

The Village has two stages for concerts, with a third near Conseco Fieldhouse, and is where the zip-line is located. Eighty musical artists are set to perform before the Super Bowl on all three stages.

“We want students to know about what’s going on, we want them to come the week before the game,” Boyce said. “The masses are really going to arrive Thursday, Feb. 2.”

Tickets for the zip-line, which are $10, can be purchased online.

Parking is also available at the former Indianapolis Airport, with free shuttle service downtown, and the $2 tickets for the parking can also be purchased online.

Boyce said local businesses, and even Bloomington, will take advantage of the influx of people.

“Downtown is going to be hopping,” Boyce said. “We have brought in food trucks, and Papa John’s is bringing in a local kitchen. Businesses are going to be packed. We’re hoping people eat in Bloomington, then come up here to have fun. This helps Bloomington and downtown.”

Because so much of the work done by the committee involved city and state officials, as well as other organizations in Indianapolis, Boyce said collaboration was key to getting everything done in time for the big game Feb. 5.

“Whether it’s the city or state or hotel management or restaurants or venues, in Indianapolis, we are a pretty friendly group,” she said. “It’s been nice, everybody sees the good for the bigger picture. They’ve put aside their problems and it’s been very collaborative. We’ve opened good relationships.”