The University of North Carolina will host an international soccer match at Kenan Memorial Stadium for the first time. 

Wrexham takes on Chelsea on the pitch Wednesday night. While the allure of two European clubs has drawn ample attention on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, so will the traffic to get to the game. 

Tens of thousands of hungry and excited soccer fans are expected to pour into UNC’s home field for the match between Wrexham and Chelsea.

Besides the action on the field, the concern is arriving safely to the game itself.

Chapel Hill will experience a flood of visitors in the coming days.

“We are mainly focused on people coming through town to get to the stadium,” Alex Carrasquillo, the public information officer for the Chapel Hill fire and police departments, said. He said the town is working with the university to make traffic less chaotic.

“Making sure we get the word out to drivers to just really be patient, whether you are visiting or you already live here, it is going to be busy,” he said.

Blinking signs will greet drivers coming in from the interstate, warning of inbound traffic to the game. An onslaught of cars could slow traffic to a crawl between the hours of 4 - 8 p.m.

Public parking passes are available now through the University Athletics website.

Fans coming in from I-40 are encouraged to use the exits at Highway 15/501 and Highway 54.

Wrexham and Chelsea flags hang outside the Chapel Hill and Orange County Welcome Center where Laurie Paolicelli is fielding a lot of interest. 

This is a great experience for Chapel Hill. This is the first time we have ever hosted something like this,” Paolicelli said.

Paolicelli, the executive director of the Chapel Hill-Orange County Visitors Bureau, said they welcome outsiders to enjoy some soccer and a slice of southern culture.

“Oh, it’s terrific fun because anytime we have a major event, it’s a gateway to other things,” she said.

Especially when students are not on campus and America’s brand of football is more than a month away.

She said after talking with other entities, the projected economic benefit has been updated to $20 million in revenue.

“Suddenly people who have never thought about coming to Chapel Hill who are football fans, they are here,” Paolicelli said.

Those fans need to leave their car somewhere. One of the potentially safe options is to park and ride. The park and ride option allows visitors to leave their car at the Friday Center or Southern Village and hop on a Tar Heel Express. There are three pick up locations.

Tickets are still available, and some have since been marked down.

Update: A Chapel Hill spokesperson reported the Park & Ride via Tar Heel Express tickets have sold out and are no longer available.