Roads closed around Public Square, lines start at 5 p.m. for Horseshoe Casino Cleveland

CLEVELAND - Public Square will look more like a three-ring circus on Monday, with the opening of the new Horseshoe Casino Cleveland.

Starting Sunday, South Roadway between West Superior Avenue and Ontario Street will be closed in front of Tower City. Casino officials said Public Square will be privatized until 6 a.m. Tuesday.

At 8 a.m. Monday, the curbside lane on Ontario southbound between Superior and Prospect will also be closed. Television live trucks will occupy part of Ontario Street, with a row of port-a-johns along West Prospect and West Superior.

To keep up with the road closures and downtown traffic, Cleveland police said they will have officers stationed at 14 intersections in the area of Public Square for at least the casino’s first week of operation. A command center bus will be parked outside the casino and plain-clothed officers will be among the patrons on the first night.

While the doors won’t open until 9:30 p.m., there will be a lot going on, leading up to the big night.

People can start lining up for the casino at 5 p.m. Those with wristbands will be lined up along Ontario across from the casino parking garage, while the general public can get in line on West Prospect. Casino officials said there will be bike racks set up around the Higbee Building for the public queuing.

The VIP party begins at 7:30 p.m., with a ceremony outside the Higbee Building at 8:30 p.m.

When it comes to parking, the valet drop off is on West Prospect. Self-parking will be available in the casino’s parking garage off of Ontario. There is another parking lot at West 3rd Street and Superior. According to the casino, parking is free for casino guests who are Total Rewards members, who play for 30 minutes and earn 15 credits. Total Rewards memberships are free at www.totalrewards.com .

The Horseshoe Casino Cleveland will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. All guests must be 21 years old or older and have a valid ID. State law prohibits the casino from providing guests with complimentary cocktails.