SEATTLE — It was a city-wide effort to efficiently clean up the aftermath of the Seahawks’ enormous turnout for their Super Bowl parade in downtown Seattle.
Seattle Police had estimated that upwards of 1 million people were going to pack into the sidewalks and streets along 4th Avenue to catch a view of the parade route, which began near Lumen Field and ran up to Denny Way.
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KOMO News is still working to learn a more updated figure for the total number of people who were believed to have turned out. The crowds formed as early as 6 a.m. on Wednesday, with 12s lined shoulder to shoulder. Some climbed onto building balconies, others into the sturdy branches of trees, and even onto the roof of a 7/11 at the end of the parade route.
Once the excitement died down and fans headed home, the avenue was lined with droves of confetti, food scraps, cups, and even couches — prompting SDOT, Seattle Public Utilities, and the Metropolitan Improvement District to get to work just after 2 p.m.
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SDOT says they had a dozen ground crew members working to pick up trash and move metal fencing off the street to make way for their three full-sized street sweepers. Another few trucks were used to haul away 6 to 7 couches as well.
By 4:45 p.m., all lanes of 4th Avenue were back open, and traffic resumed as normal.
Both the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office and Seattle Police reported no incidents or arrests during the highly energetic parade, on what was a beautiful sunny day in Seattle.
“Thank you to the Seahawks – the players, the coaches, the staff – for an unforgettable season and for creating the experience we shared today. Quarterback Sam Darnold said this is a special place to play football. This is a special place to be a fan, too,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion.