After massive traffic jams before and after Willie Nelson's recent concert, Treasure Island Casino is taking steps to upgrade its new amphitheater set up. The second of eight concerts is Wednesday with comedians Adam Sandler, David Spade and others.
Here are some of the improvements Treasure Island in Red Wing is implementing:
- An independent traffic engineer was hired to design better traffic flow at County Road 18 and Sturgeon Lake Road. Off-duty police have been hired to direct traffic. (Before Willie's concert on June 9, it took more than an hour to travel the final three miles to access Treasure Island.)
- Entrances and exits have been added to the overflow parking lot, which is a grassy field. Additional personnel will direct visitors in the lots.
- Changes have been made to the shuttle bus system.
Treasure Island is also making changes inside the concert venue:
- The number of portable toilets has tripled.
- The size of the two LED video screens on the sides of the stage has been increased. Two additional screens will be incorporated: one over the center of the stage and one to accommodate concertgoers sitting on the lawn behind the plastic seats.
- The ticketing area has been rearranged to "provide better flow of entry," according to a statement from Treasure Island.
Willie drew 11,000 fans. Sandler's comedy program is expected to attract an even larger crowd.
Among the other shows scheduled for Treasure Island's ad hoc amphitheater this summer are Journey on July 1, Weezer and Cold War Kids on July 14, Brad Paisley on Aug. 26 and Yes on Sept. 8.
