(WSBT) Some Southwest Michigan roads could be very busy starting Thursday. The brand new Four Winds Casino opens near New Buffalo at noon.

Drivers should allow plenty of travel time to get to the casino. Traffic is expected to be a major issue for the next several weeks. An estimated 15,000 people are expected to visit the casino every day.

The Berrien County Sheriff's department has 20 officers working 10 hour shifts to specifically deal with traffic. Extra New Buffalo and State Police are also being brought in to help.

Police say If you're headed up that way for the casino or any other reason, it could be a long trip.

"Our big goal is we don't want to see any back up on I-94, so at times, if we see a back up there, we may be shutting off LaPorte Road so we make sure traffic gets off the highway onto that exit ramp," Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey told WSBT News.

Berrien County police also met with the Laporte County Sheriff's Department to figure out how they would handle traffic if it gets backed up into Indiana. When WSBT crews went up to the casino for the red carpet party Wednesday night, it took them about an hour to go around two miles to the casino once they turned off U.S. 12.

The Pokagon Band also has 16 tribal officers who will be at the entrances and elsewhere on casino grounds. They're part of sworn law enforcement in Michigan, and the Berrien County deputies are also tribal officers.

Berrien County Police say they don't plan to go on casino grounds, but they have the authority should they ever need to do so.