The following is a release from the Washington State Department of Transportation:

The Seattle Seahawks begin their road to another Super Bowl title Sept. 4 and if you plan on taking a road to watch them, be sure to plan ahead.

Just as the Seahawks’ defense will jam up the Green Bay Packers’ offense, drivers should expect heavy congestion throughout the day on highways leading to CenturyLink Field for the 5:30 p.m. kickoff. By adding plenty of extra time to trips and considering alternate forms of transportation such as the bus, light rail, commuter rail, carpooling or bike riding, Blue Thursday doesn’t have to become Traffic Blues Thursday.

The festivities begin at 10 a.m. with activities at NFL Gameday Village and continue with a free concert by Pharrell and Soundgarden at 2:30 p.m. in the stadium’s north parking lot. While a steady stream of traffic is expected throughout the day, heaviest travel times on state highways are anticipated to be from 1-6 p.m. Those leaving downtown Seattle are encouraged to do so in the early afternoon or after kickoff, if possible.

To assist with traffic flow, the Interstate 90 express lanes will run westbound until 3 p.m. and drivers are encouraged to use that option to cross Lake Washington. Express lanes on I-5 will operate on their normal weekday schedule, running southbound until 11 a.m. and switching to northbound by 11:15 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Drivers are encouraged to check traffic conditions before they head out the door. A live look at traffic can be found using WSDOT’s Seattle Traffic map. On Twitter, @wsdot_traffic will be providing live updates on highway traffic conditions throughout the day, @seattledot will update conditions on Seattle city streets and @kcmetrobus and@soundtransit will update transit information. Travelers are also encouraged to download WSDOT’s free mobile appfor live traffic information.

For information on using Sounder, Link Light Rail or Sound Transit Express, check out the Sound Transit website. The websites for King County Metro Transit and Amtrak Cascades may also help in planning your trip. If you must drive to the stadium, check out this site for parking options.