KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thursday night football returns to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Along with all of the fun the game will bring, Kansas City police are also warning fans ahead of the preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

The department’s traffic control officers say fans need to leave earlier than they think to make it into the stadium for kickoff.

“Preseason games offer a challenge in that many of those attending the games are not the regular season ticket holders,” said Sgt. Grant Ruark with KCPD. “Tickets for these games are often given away to people who are not accustomed to the traffic and parking patterns at the stadium so, the more time people allow to get there and get parked the better.”

Police also want fans to realize game traffic and rush hour traffic will be happening at the same time on some of the same highways near the stadium.

“We also hope that people who normally travel I-70 during the afternoon rush hour take the opportunity to find alternative routes to get to where they want to go. U.S. 40 Highway, 350 Highway and I-470 might offer a quicker and less congested experience for the normal rush hour traveler,” Ruark said.

One other tip: Have your parking pass pulled up and ready to scan before arriving in the parking lot. Officers said it will help traffic move more efficiently.

Parking lots open at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Stadium gates open at 5 p.m., and kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.