EUGENE, Ore. - Track athletes will be flying around historic Hayward Field starting Friday for the U.S. Olympic Trials, but traffic will be slowing to a crawl for many commuters.

Then there are parking issues for fans who want to get close to the track.  

Here's the key problem: event and parking spaces reserved for the trials and used by track staff, media and other groups will displace hundreds of motorists who normally park there.

This has all the makings of possible gridlock.  Parts of three streets are already closed around Hayward Field and traffic engineers say more will be closed, starting Tuesday.

"Starting tomorrow (June 24), we'll close Agate from Franklin Boulevard to 19th and 18th from Agate to Potter," said Tom Larsen, traffic engineer with the City of Eugene.

Crews are making room for the '08 Festival (next door to Hayward) and other activities. You can't just pull up the family mini-van and park.

"There is no free parking or spectator parking surrounding Hayward Field," said Kay Kronholm, traffic enforcement supervisor.

That means parking will spill over to the surrounding neighborhoods, including the South University and Fairmount areas.   Co-Chair Shellie Robertson of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association says, "People need to know there's limited parking and so we would encourage people to take the shuttles and public transportation."

What does this mean to you? Kay Kronholm says they'll work with the public as much as they can on parking, but if you block access to one of these, a fire hydrant, you're in trouble.

That means vehicles blocking a driveway or sidewalk will have a date with a tow truck. 

"If there's a vehicle blocking a fire hydrant, or parked in a traffic lane, those vehicles will be towed," Kronholm said.

However, city officials have been planning for two years for this event and are not expecting the worst, if people will be patient.  

Larsen said late afternoon commuters, especially those using Franklin Boulevard, should look for alternate routes starting Friday. 

"Look for an alternative route or expect to be delayed a little bit.  We'll be watching the traffic signals and try to adjust them for the crowds," he said.

We hear some people living near Hayward Field are selling parking spots in their driveways for track fans.  More on that in a story we'll file later this week.