Stotesbury Cup Regatta returns Friday which means detours on Kelly Drive

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Friday, May 14, 2021
Detours on Kelly Drive due to Stotesbury Regatta
The Stotesbury Cup Regatta kicks off along the Schuylkill River which means detours on the Kelly Drive.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Stotesbury Cup Regatta kicks off Friday along the Schuylkill River which means traffic detours on Kelly Drive.

The two-day high school rowing competition is back again after being canceled due to the pandemic last year.

Detours along Kelly Drive started at 5 a.m. The Drive is detoured from the Strawberry Mansion Bridge to Fountain Green Drive until Saturday at 6 p.m.

Southbound Kelly Drive traffic is detoured up the Strawberry Mansion ramp to Fountain Green Drive via Reservoir Drive.

Northbound Kelly Drive traffic will be detoured up Fountain Green Drive along the same route.

Officials say sufficient detour signs will be posted along the detour routes and delays will be minimal.

RELATED: 'Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta' returns to Philadelphia after year off amid the pandemic

Philadelphia welcomed over a thousand college athletes back to the city Saturday for the historic Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuykill River.

"Stotes is on! We're delighted that the Schuylkill Navy's 94th Stotesbury Cup Regatta presented by Toyota is among the first public events approved by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health as the City reopens," a message on the regatta's website says.

Officials say the Stotesbury Cup, the largest high school rowing regatta in the world, usually draws close to 6,000 student-athletes and thousands of spectators to the annual event.

The 2021 event will look and feel different as COVID-19 safety measures will be in place. They include:

- Masks required on land at all times.

- No spectating tents or spectators.

- No food or drink vending on site.

The first Stotesbury Cup in 1927 was won by Philadelphia's West Catholic High School.