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Residents Should Plan for Ironman 70.3 Traffic Impacts Saturday, Nov. 10

CLEARWATER - 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 p.m.
  • 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.

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