Road closings and how to get tickets for Clinton, Trump events in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — Officials in Cedar Rapids are preparing for a busy day Friday as both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are planning campaign stops in the city.

Clinton is to appear at a 'Women Win' rally at 1:15 p.m. at NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St. SE. Doors open at 11:15 a.m. For tickets, visit www.hillaryclinton.com/events.

Trump holds a campaign rally at 7 p.m. at the McGrath Amphitheatre. Doors open at 4 p.m. For tickets, visit donaldjtrump.com/schedule.

In preparing for the visits, Cedar Rapids officials say motorists should be prepared for a few road closures during the day Friday.

• Beginning Friday morning, 12th Avenue SE is to be closed from Second Street to Fourth Street SE.

• Also beginning Friday morning, 11th Avenue SE is to be closed from Third Street to Fourth Street SE.

• Also beginning Friday morning, Third Street SE is to be closed from 11th Avenue SE to 12th Avenue SE.

• Beginning Friday afternoon, First Street SW is to be closed from Fourth to Sixth avenues.

Roads are to be reopened by the end of the day.

Cedar Rapids Public Safety Spokesman Greg Buelow said the city's police department plans to work with the Secret Service to cover both events. He said the effort involves bringing in additional officers.

'It is our goal to provide a safe environment for individuals to exercise their political freedoms in a lawful manner,' Buelow said.

Having both major-party presidential nominees campaigning in the same Iowa City on the same day may be rare, but it isn't unprecedented.

Perhaps the most famous — or infamous — double visits was Aug. 6, 2004, when President George W. Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry both visited sites in Davenport just three blocks apart. Police believe three armed robberies of banks were coordinated to coincide with the campaign visits.

In 2012, President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney were in Dubuque just a few days before the general election. Romney had an airport rally while Obama met with thousands of supporters downtown.

Also in 2012, GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan had an election eve rally in Des Moines followed by an Obama campaign appearance.

Longtime Iowa news reporters recall presidential candidates nearly crossing paths at the Iowa State Fair.

In the run-up to the 2016 first-in-the-nation caucuses, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders all visited the fair on the same day.

According to recent polls, Iowa remains a key battleground state in this year's election.

A Quinnipiac University Poll released Thursday shows Clinton and Trump deadlocked at 44 percent among likely voters.

For those heading out Friday, the daytime forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the mid-70s, according to the National Weather Service. The Friday evening forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a low of 59 degrees.