Safety Precautions In Place For Big New Year's Eve Night In The Inner Harbor

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- With just one day to go until New Year's Eve celebrations at the Inner Harbor, preparations are underway to make sure Baltimore kicks off 2017 in style.

But Baltimore Police are beefing up security, too. Devin Bartolotta has a look at what we can expect tomorrow night.

In just a little more than a day, this area around the Inner Harbor will be jammed. Friday was all about putting the finishing touches on Baltimore's last big event of the year.

At the stroke of midnight New Year's Eve, thousands will pack the Baltimore Inner Harbor to ring in 2017 under a massive fireworks display.

But before the show, comes months of prep and planning.

For the third year in a row, Baltimore-owned Image Engineering will spend about 5 hours unpacking and setting up the firework show.
Slipping bags of explosives into their mortars and stringing together fuses that are all automated by computer.

"The artist will determine the music, the soundtrack, the tempo, and from there it will go to color selection for different types of shells," says Joe Suehele, with Image Engineering.

Two barges will be towed out to the Inner Harbor Saturday evening, and anchored in place for the big show.

"I'm sure everyone's eager for the start of 2017, so we're just looking to go out with a bang," says Megan Bosse, with the Baltimore Office of Promotion and Arts.

Baltimore Police are looking for a safe start to the new year, closing off roads, and putting more officers on patrol.

They're expecting massive crowds and asking people to stay vigilant.

"You're going to see officers on foot. If you see something out of place, somebody that looks out of place, let an officer know," says Baltimore City Police spokesman T.J. Smith.

Lots of prep to ensure a safe and celebratory night, as Baltimore rings in 2017.

If you're hoping to catch this fireworks show, be aware some roads around the Inner Harbor will be closed starting at 10:30 p.m. Saturday night and officers expect heavy traffic.

The fireworks show will be about 14 minutes long and Image Engineering says you can expect some fun shapes like hearts and smiley faces.