Over 3,000 participants are expected to compete in Saturday’s Ironman 70.3 Triathlon. The course will begin in Wrightsville Beach and end in downtown Wilmington.
The triathlon includes a 1.2-mile swim course in Banks Channel on Wrightsville Beach, a 56-mile bike ride that starts at Wrightsville Beach, then onto MLK Parkway, and onto US 421 into Pender County and back. It ends with a 13.1-mile run starting at Greenfield Lake and ending in downtown.
This will obviously affect traffic, so here are the anticipated road closures/delays associated with the triathlon.
Bike Course
Traffic control devices will be in place by 6AM. These closures are temporary, and detours have been carefully planned. The race route is an open course; roads are open to traffic, but there will be lane closures and traffic pattern changes. All traffic lights along the route will be operating as normal and law enforcement will be present.
Cyclists leaving Wrightsville Beach will merge into the far-left lane. Prior to the Eastwood Rd/Military Cutoff Rd intersection, the left lane will be coned off to traffic and open to cyclists heading straight up Eastwood and MLK to cross the Isabel Holmes Bridge. The route will continue over the Isabel Holmes Bridge onto 421 (northbound). In Pender County, cyclists turn left at Union Chapel Rd and travel through secondary roads before returning down Blueberry Rd to 421 S. Cyclists return into Wilmington over the Isabel Holmes Bridge before ending downtown.
| Causeway Dr from Waynick Blvd at Wrightsville Beach to the Wrightsville Beach Drawbridge | Closed; Use Lumina Ave to Salisbury | 5:15AM to 10AM |
| All roads intersecting Eastwood (eastbound) and MLK (eastbound), except Market St and College Rd | Closed | 7AM to 10:30AM |
| Eastwood/Military CutOff Intersection | Expect Delays | 7AM to 10:30AM |
| College Rd (southbound) from MLK to Racine Dr | Expect Delays | 7AM to 10:30AM |
| Market St (eastbound) from College Rd to MLK | Expect Delays | 7AM to 10:30AM |
| MLK (eastbound) from McRae St to College Rd | Expect Delays – One Lane Open to Traffic | 7AM to 10:30AM |
| Hwy 76 to 421 (northbound) – Traffic detoured to 2nd exit ramp eastbound off Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, then to the on ramp and over the bridge to 421 | Closed | 7AM to 2PM |
| Hwy 421 (north and southbound) I-140-Isabel Holmes | Expect Delays | 7AM to 2PM |
Pender County Bike Route
| Hwy 421 from 210 to Hwy 53 | Expect Delays | 8AM to 1PM |
| Hwy 210 West from 421 to Brinson Rd | Local Traffic Only/Expect Delays | 8AM to 12PM |
Run Course
| N 2nd St from N Front St to Hanover St | Closed | 3AM to 5PM |
| Brunswick St from 3rd St to Nutt St | Closed | 6AM to 5PM |
| Hanover St from N 2nd St to Nutt St | Closed | 6AM to 5PM |
| Front St (southbound) from N 3rd St to Red Cross St | Closed | 6AM to 5PM |
| Front St (southbound) from Red Cross to Greenfield | Closed | 9AM to 5PM |
| S Front St (northbound) from S 3rd St/Burnette St to Dawson St | Closed | 9AM to 5PM |
| Red Cross St from N Front St to N Water St | Closed | 9AM to 3PM |
| Greenfield St from S Front St to S Fifth Ave | Closed | 9AM to 5PM |
| S 3rd St (southbound) at Wooster St | Closed | 9AM to 5PM |
| Westbound access to Water St will be open at cross streets along Front St unless otherwise mentioned above | Expect Delays and Use Alternate Routes | 9AM to 5PM |
The inner lane of Lake Shore Drive (closest to the lake) is closed from 5th Ave to Amphitheater Dr. Traffic will travel counterclockwise around the lake and out of intersecting neighborhoods. All vehicles entering Lake Shore Dr from any of the
intersecting roads must take a right hand turn onto Lake Shore Dr – no left-hand turns will be allowed.
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