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Ironman Road Closures and Traffic Information

Written by Paul Clark
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IronmanPinellas County traffic will be impacted by the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 on Saturday, November 14th – race day.

Throughout the county, many lane and road closures for the Ironman races will begin at 5 a.m., however Clearwater Beach road closures will begin at 3 a.m., and drivers will not be permitted to travel south of the roundabout due to closures on Coronado Drive and South Gulfview Boulevard.

Below is a list from the City of Clearwater of estimated times of impact, road closures, and detours during Ironman.

The bike route, which travels 56 miles throughout northern and mid Pinellas County, will affect the following areas:

_Coronado Drive at the Clearwater Beach Roundabout, 3 a.m. to 5 p.m.
_Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Court Street, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
_NE Cleveland Street and Drew Street, 7 to 9:15 a.m.
_Drew Street and Keene Road, 7 to 9:25 a.m.
_Drew Street and Belcher Road, 7 to 9:30 a.m.
_Sunset Point and Belcher Road, 7:15 to 9:45 a.m.
_Countryside Boulevard and State Road 580, 7:15 to 10 a.m.
_Countryside Boulevard and Lake St. George, 7:15 to 10:15 a.m.
_Lake St. George and Tampa Road, 7:15 to 10:15 a.m.
_Tampa Road and Off ramp to East Lake Road, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
_East Lake Road and Keystone Road, 7:30 to 11 a.m.
_East Lake Road to Trinity Oaks Boulevard and back, 7:45 to 11 a.m.
_McMullen Booth Road and Curlew Road, 7:45 to 11:15 a.m.
_McMullen Booth Road and Enterprise Road, 8 to 11:30 a.m.
_McMullen Booth Road and Drew Street, 8:15 to 11:45 a.m.
_McMullen Booth Road and Roosevelt Boulevard, 8:30 a.m. to noon
_East Bay Drive and Belcher Road, 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
_Belcher Road and Belleair Road, 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
_Belcher Road and Gulf to Bay Boulevard, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
_Gulf to Bay Boulevard to Clearwater Beach, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The run route, which travels 13.1 miles from Pier 60 throughout Clearwater Beach, across the Memorial Causeway Bridge and into downtown Clearwater, will affect the following areas:

_Fort Harrison Ave., from Chestnut St. to Jeffords St., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
_Bay Ave., from Druid Rd. to Jeffords St., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
_Magnolia Dr., from Pinellas Trail to Druid Rd. South, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
_Druid Rd. South, from Jeffords St. to Orange Ave., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
_Orange Ave., from Druid Rd. to Turner St., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
_Turner St., from Orange Ave. to Oak Ave., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
_Oak Ave., from Turner St. to Chestnut St., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
_To access Morton Plant Hospital, drivers will have to use Pinellas Street.

Detours and Road Impacts

Belcher Road
If you live along east side of Belcher Road please use U.S. 19 as your north-south route.  It will be difficult to exit your neighborhoods onto Belcher Road to go north bound or to turn left out of your neighborhoods and travel south.

East Lake Area Detours
The median openings along East Lake Road between Tampa Road and Trinity Boulevard will be blocked throughout the duration of the bike portion of the race. If you live in the area or know someone that does, plan ahead and learn the detour routes.
_Residents living west of East Lake Road will be able to travel south on East Lake Road to access Tampa Road.
_Residents that live east of East Lake Road can travel north on East Lake Road, turn right on Trinity Boulevard and make a U-turn at the second median opening to go south.
_Residents living east of East Lake Road can also utilize East Lake Woodlands Parkway to access Tampa Road.
_At McMullen Booth Road and State Road 580, traffic traveling on McMullen Booth Road will be detoured east on State Road 580 to Tampa Road where cars will able to access East Lake Road.

Bayside Bridge Detour
Traffic traveling south bound on the McMullen Booth will be unable to use to Bayside Bridge during the race.  Cars will be detoured to go west on Drew St., south on U.S. 19. When cars get to Roosevelt Boulevard, exit and make a U-turn under the over pass and go east on Roosevelt Boulevard to get onto 49th Street.

North Pinellas County
_Keystone Road will be shut down at East Lake Road from 7:30 to 11 a.m., find an alternate route and avoid the area if you can.
_All eastbound and westbound intersections along East Lake Road will be blocked between Tampa Road and Trinity Boulevard. If you need to cross East Lake Road, you will have to travel south to Tampa Road or north of Trinity Boulevard.

Full Road Closures
Most roads along the route will have only partial lane closures. Soft closures allow the police officers to let cars through when there is a break between the bicycles. Cars may have to wait for an extended period of time until they are permitted to travel through the intersection. Full road closures on race day include the following:

_Most of South Gulfview Boulevard will close on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 8 a.m. and re-open Monday, Nov. 16, 8 a.m.

_Keystone Road will be shut down at East Lake Road/McMullen Booth Road from 7:30 to 11 a.m.
_McMullen Booth Road from Curlew Road to Tampa Road, Northbound lanes will be closed to traffic
_Bayside Bridge, from Drew Street to Roosevelt Boulevard, Southbound lanes will be closed to traffic
_Coronado Drive will be closed from the Clearwater Beach roundabout to Devon Drive starting at 3 a.m.

Clearwater Beach Traffic Impact
Because the majority of the event takes place at Pier 60, most of South Gulfview Boulevard will be closed from Tuesday, Nov. 10, to Monday, Nov. 16. and Coronado will be closed from the Clearwater Beach roundabout to Devon Drive starting at 3 a.m. on race day. If residents need to leave the beach on race day, they should plan to leave the 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.

The 2009 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3, Presented by Ford, is the culmination of over thirty global Ironman 70.3 events and takes more than 1,700 athletes along a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run.  More than 90,000 athletes vie for slots to the event each year.   The 2009 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 will air on NBC on Sunday, June 6, 2010.  More information can be found at www.ironman.com.

For more information, including maps of the route, go to www.myclearwater.com, or call the hotline at (727)-562-4636.

 

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