New York City preparing for Times Square event

People planning city breaks in New York to celebrate New Year's Eve have been informed of some of the details regarding the 2009-10 festivities set to take place in Times Square.

The area will be closed to traffic and visitors will be allowed to gather in viewing sections stretching from 42nd to 47th streets between Broadway and Seventh Avenue late in the afternoon.

Every year, a giant illuminated ball is dropped in Times Square to mark the turn of the year.

The ball will be lit and raised at around 18:00 local time, with New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and a special guest pushing the button to signal its 60-second descent at 23:59.

A giant '2010' sign will then be switched on high above Times Square to mark the beginning of the new year.

George Fertitta, chief executive of marketing agency NYC & Company, said: "There is no more exciting place to be on New Year's Eve than Times Square in New York City - and revellers will find even more space to spread out, with this year's closure of Times Square to traffic."

The Times Square celebration will be watched on television by more than 100 million viewers in the US and over a billion people worldwide.