At 1 p.m. Friday, cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists with any common sense will have to take a detour through the heart of Center City to make way for a 200-ton crane that will lumber onto Broad Street between Locust and Pine.
Once the crane is in position, a chandelier-type contraption, recently shipped here from France, will be suspended from it. Then, at sundown, a troupe of 18 aerialists from Lyons will be lifted 100 feet into the air and, hanging from the chandelier, will practice their routine, playing twinkly music and spinning in circles.
Passersby who get to see this preview of Saturday's performance by Le Compagnie Transe Express are likely to be transfixed. Anyone in a hurry trying to drive down the Avenue of the Arts, however, is bound to be less amused. And beginning at 1 a.m. Saturday, it's going to get worse. The street closing will expand, detouring all traffic along Broad between Chestnut and Lombard.
It's not as if Broad St. is the only route through town. For your North/South driving needs, you can go to one of the many parallel roads on the street grid. It really isn't a big deal.