Preparation underway for Monday's Heat championship parade

Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out for this year's celebration

DOWNTOWN MIAMI, Fla. – Barricades are already set up in Downtown Miami ahead of Monday's Heat championship parade.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out along the same route as last year down Brickell and around Biscayne to the American Airlines Arena.

Click here to download a map of the parade route

Click here to see how Local 10 will have you covered during Monday's parade.

This year parade organizers say they have made a few improvements. Those improvements include the pacing of the parade and keeping white hot Heat fans cool and hydrated.

"We will have a lot more water and hydration on the route because it's hot and more first aid stations on the route," said Kim Stone of the American Airlines Arena.

Stone says they have also asked the drivers of the double deck buses to drive slower this year so the crowd can get a good look at their favorite players.

Furthermore, the party at the end of the parade will not be outside the area, but inside for season ticket holders only.

Security will also be tighter with reminders of the Boston Marathon Bombings. Miami Police Lieutenant, Joel Gonzalez says their focus for this major event will be crowd control and identifying any potential threats.

"It's really a large geographic area," said Gonzalez. "It's really not a contained area so it presents a lot of challenges for not only the security and safety on the route but the reroutes and the traffic."


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.