An estimated 30,000 people will descend upon Council Bluffs, preparing to bike across the state of Iowa.
Council Bluffs will serve as host city for the kickoff of the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI, welcoming riders for the event that starts July 21.
"For a community that's roughly 62,000 people, that's a pretty significant increase," said Council Bluffs police Chief Tim Carmody. Carmody said hosting the first night of RAGBRAI has meant months of planning, preparation and some overtime hours.
"Pretty much all hands on deck right now," Carmody said.
A basketball tournament in the same area as many of the RAGBRAI festivities will also bring 250 teams into town that weekend.
"We're mixing those folks in, so we try to create separate traffic routes for them to come in and out," he said.