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The City of Clearwater has issued a press
release warning that the 2nd Annual Ford Ironman World Championship
70.3 will impact Pinellas County traffic on race day, Saturday,
Nov. 10. Lane and road closures will start at 5 a.m. throughout the
county. Clearwater Beach road closures will begin at 3 a.m., and
drivers will not be allowed to go south of the roundabout due to
closures on Coronado Drive and South Gulfview Boulevard.
Estimated Times of Impact
The bike route, which travels 56 miles
throughout northern Pinellas County, will affect the following
areas:
·Ft. Harrison Avenue from Chestnut
Street to Drew Street, 7:30 to 9:18 a.m.
·Drew Street, from Ft. Harrison
Avenue to Belcher Road, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
·Belcher Road, from Drew Street to
Countryside Boulevard, 7:38 to 9:55 a.m.
·Countryside Boulevard, from
Belcher Road to Lake St. George, 7:48 to 10:13 a.m.
·Tampa Road, from Lake St. George
to East Lake Business, 8 to 10:22 a.m.
·McMullen Booth Road, from Curlew
Road to the Bayside Bridge, 8:18 to 11:20 a.m.
·49th Street, from the Bayside
Bridge to Park Boulevard, 8:41 a.m. to 11:56 a.m.
·Park Boulevard, from 49th Street
to Belcher Road, 8:49 a.m. to 12:06 p.m.
·Belcher Road from Park Boulevard
to Gulf to Bay Boulevard, 8:55 a.m. to 12:43 p.m.
·Gulf to Bay Boulevard from Belcher
Road to Clearwater Beach, 9:13 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Run Route
The run route will go from Pier 60 through
downtown and into Harbor Oaks and back to Pier 60. Runners will do
two loops and will affect traffic on the Memorial Causeway, in
downtown Clearwater, and in the Harbor Oaks neighborhood between
approximately 9:20 a.m. and 4 p.m. To access Morton Plant Hospital,
drivers will have to use Pinellas Street.
Full Road Closures
Most roads along the route will have only
partial lane closures. Full road closures include the
following:
·South Gulfview Boulevard south of
the roundabout to 5th Street, due to construction
·Coronado Drive will be closed from
the roundabout to 2nd Street, 3 a.m. to 4 p.m.
·Ft. Harrison Avenue from Chestnut
Street to Drew Street, 7:30 to 9:18 a.m.
·Countryside Boulevard from
Northside Drive to Curlew Road, 1:30 to 11 a.m.
·Bayside Bridge southbound from
Drew Street, to Roosevelt Boulevard, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
·Ft. Harrison Avenue from Chestnut
Street to Jeffords Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
·Bay Avenue from Druid Road to
Jeffords Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
·Magnolia Drive from the Pinellas
Trail to Druid Road South, 8 a.m. to 4 pm.
·Druid Road South from Jeffords
Street to Orange Avenue, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
·Orange Avenue from Druid Road to
Turner Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
·Turner Street from Orange Avenue
to Oak Avenue, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
·Oak Avenue from Turner Road to
Chestnut Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Clearwater Beach Traffic
Impacts
Because the majority of the event takes
place at Pier 60, Coronado will be closed from the Clearwater Beach
roundabout to 2nd street starting at 3 a.m. Residents should plan
to leave the beach before 7 a.m. to avoid the traffic impacts.
Between 7 and 9 a.m. north beach residents will have limited access
to the roundabout. South beach residents and those needing access
to and from south beach after 3 a.m. will need to use the Belleair
Causeway.
Helpful Driving Hints for Race
Day
To ease problems on race day, drivers
should leave early to allow for extra traffic and lane closures.
The bike course will re-open at 1 p.m. and the run course will
re-open at 4 p.m. Since the race route does not affect U.S. 19, it
should be used as the main north-south route. Signalized
intersections along the route will have police officers assisting
motorists. Motorists who come upon a non-signalized intersection
should yield to bicyclists. The rules of road apply as bikes have
right-of-way on the course.
Drivers will have to share multi-lane
roads with bicyclists. Throughout most of the route, cyclists will
be in the outside curb lane and vehicles will travel in the
remaining lanes. On McMullen Booth Road, cyclists will be traveling
on the inside median lane, and vehicles will be traveling in the
outside lanes.
Road closures, comprehensive course and
event-related information can be found at
www.myclearwater.com/ironman or by calling the hotline at 562-INFO
(4636).
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