Sweeping security measures falling into place

CENTER CITY (WPVI) -- The clock is ticking for crews preparing for the Pontiff's arrival. Streets in the core of Center City are now shut down. But there are still plenty more steps to take before the city is ready.

Unprecedented security is now in effect in Center City, like the scene on North Broad Street. From Vine down to Cherry Street it's one long cattle chute until you get to the security entry point near City Hall.

Work crews started moving the concrete barriers into place at 10 p.m. Thursday. The security checkpoints were established at 6 a.m. Friday. And despite weeks of warning across all media some were still taken by surprise as they headed into work.

Quyeem Joyner of North Philadelphia tells us, "I think it's a real big inconvenience. I'm trying to go all around just to find a way to get to work. Now if I don't get to work I'm looking at getting fired due to this whole situation. It's taking me twenty minutes to get through every checkpoint. I'm going in, through and out, and I still can't even find my bus."

Buses are not running inside the vehicle security zone that covers a large portion of Center City. The only way in or out is by foot.

For many it's an obstacle course.

Gaeton Biscardi from Rosemont, Pa. says, "I took the R5 but I didn't realize Suburban (Station) shutdown so I had to walk from Jefferson, and now I'm doing this whole trek."

Mayor Nutter says some of the barriers were placed in the wrong locations by contractors hired to do the work. He says they are being moved and that should alleviate most of the initial confusion.

Mark Distefano and Ted Wilm are volunteers for the World Meeting of Families. Their job is to help people find where they're going this weekend. But it won't be easy.

"We're excited to help but it's really taxing. It's a lot of hassle," Mark said.

Ted responded by saying, "Yea, I mean we were just at 10th and Chestnut and we walked literally all the way around City Hall trying to get around."

Mark said, "It's like a giant maze. We were just going up and down."

If it's any comfort, even Archbishop Chaput shares the pain. He tells us, "As you see, it's a very complicated process. Even getting around, I was late getting to Mass this morning because of the blocking of streets. So, even I've been affected. I'm glad to share the anxiety with the pilgrims, but I would have rather been on time."

For the most part, things are off to a smooth start. There was just a trickle of pedestrians making it through the metal detectors Friday morning under the watchful eye of federal agents and local police.

But the crowds will increase dramatically on Saturday.

How many show up remains anyone's guess, despite earlier predictions of well over a million.

Mayor Michael Nutter says, "I think the excitement is just going to build when you see what happened in Washington DC, you see the pope now in New York City. Folks are reading these stories, watching on television. They're excited and they're going to want to be here."

Things are happening rapidly now as the security noose gets tighter. The barricades go up from 12th to 3rd Street around the vehicle security perimeter Friday night, and at 6 p.m. the much wider Center City box goes into effect.