Sold-out Amp Show, Georgia Showdown, Trump Visit Spell Busy Week in Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa is bracing for traffic as a sold-out Amphitheater show sets the stage for the biggest college football game of the season and visits from some of the biggest names in Republican politics.

"Our people, Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue, the police department plus hundreds of other city employees as well, we're all about to be put to the test this coming Thursday, Friday, and Saturday," Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said Wednesday morning during an appearance on the Steve & DC Show on 95.3 the Bear.

The fun starts Thursday night when country star Koe Wetzel is expected to headline a show in front of a packed audience at the Mercedez-Benz Amphitheater in downtown Tuscaloosa.

"That concert is as hard of a sellout as you can have," Maddox said.

Meanwhile, the storm named Helene is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane before a Thursday landfall. Although the eastern side of Alabama expects a thorough drenching, meteorologists do not forecast as much impact locally. A Wednesday update said to expect up to three inches of rain, but that it should clear out before high school and college football games begin this Friday and Saturday.

The storm's impact on the concert, if any, is yet to be known.

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After high school games all over the county Friday, Saturday will bring its own series of excitement and headaches as the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs come to Tuscaloosa for their first clash with Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide, entering the weekend at No. 4.

Former President Donald Trump, now just weeks away from his third consecutive appearance on ballots as the Republican nominee for that office, has announced plans to attend.

Both of Alabama's US Senators, Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, are also expected to join him. That will mean plenty of pomp and circumstance and a feather in the city's cap, but will also bring a throng of Secret Service agents and other police and serious traffic woes.

Kickoff is a primetime 6:30 p.m., but anyone planning to move anywhere in the city better leave themselves a lot of time to get there this weekend.

"Early is better. That goes for both vehicle traffic and access to the game," Maddox said. "The best bet that I would give everyone is to be early - it's just going to be more difficult and there's no way around that, and frankly, it should be."

"Our first responsibility is to public safety and the safety of the former president, the Republican nominee and potentially the next president of the United States," Maddox said. "We take that very seriously. In the meetings that I've been a part of, our first and foremost responsibility is to ensure that he comes to Tuscaloosa, has a great visit, does what he needs to do, and then gets home safely."

Maddox said this weekend may generate more than $25 million for Tuscaloosa and the resources and attention that the city is dedicating to planning and safety are "as high-level as it gets."

"This is a great weekend and a great opportunity to showcase the city, because beyond just the economic impact, which is so good for all of our small businesses, it's showcases our city and that's why it's so important with the presidential visit," Maddox said. "Frankly, we don't want to be a Butler, Pennsylvania, and we're going to do everything possible to keep the president safe."