MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A hot air balloon was inflated near busy I-40 traffic just before 8am on Wednesday. The balloon was inflated purposely in the parking lot of Nolan AV, at 6225 Shelby Oaks Drive with permission from the owner, to promote the Bluff City Balloon Jamboree that starts on June 17 in Memphis.
Traffic quickly began to back up near the landing site of the balloon as drivers heading into Memphis slowed down to get a look at the spectacle. Just after 8am, Waze, the traffic monitoring app showed that the average speed near the site of the balloon landing was 19.9 miles per hour.
Editor's note: the story originally said that the aircraft landed at that location.