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HomeNewsArchivesRESIDENTS CAN AVOID TRIATHLON TRAFFIC TANGLES

RESIDENTS CAN AVOID TRIATHLON TRAFFIC TANGLES

April 30, 2004 – The St. Croix Half Ironman Triathlon begins at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, but there will be road and parking restrictions in effect as early as 3 a.m. St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Herminio Velazquez is advising motorists to plan their travel ahead of time — especially drivers needing to get to the Seaborne Airlines ramp or the Fast Ferry dock to meet folks returning from V.I. Carnival festivities on St. Thomas.
Parking restrictions
Parking will be prohibited from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday along the triathlon biking and running routes as well as the staging area at the Christiansted wharf, and also on Church Street between King and Company Streets. Vehicles parked in these areas will be ticketed and towed at the owners' expense.
Police will allow motorists and pedestrians to cross triathlon routes in a safe manner that will not interfere with or endanger the triathletes.
One-way vehicular traffic will be in effect as follows:
Eastbound only on East End Road from Southgate Road to the entrance to Cramer's Park.
Westbound only on South Shore Road from Sally's Fancy to Junie's Bar & Restaurant.
All vehicular traffic must pull to the side of the road and stop to allow triathletes to pass by. Police will set up large orange barricades at certain intersections.
Plan ahead to reach seaplane ramp, ferry dock
Police offer the following suggestions for persons needing to travel to the Seaborne Airlines ramp or the Fast Ferry dock in Gallows Bay on Sunday:
– Allow at least two hours extra driving time.
– Traveling to the seaplane ramp from western, central and northern parts of St. Croix, go east on Queen Mary Highway, then take Island Center Road to Rattan Road and go east to the Five Corners intersection, where police will be directing traffic. Follow directions to the Mill Harbor-Golden Rock area through LBJ Gardens, Ralph DeChabert Housing and D. Hamilton Jackson Terrace Road to the seaplane ramp, using the unpaved road to the parking lot.
– Traveling to the seaplane ramp from the St. John and La Grande Princesse area, use secondary roads to Five Corners and follow police directions. Northside Road will be closed to motorists during the bike race.
– Traveling to Gallows Bay from western, central and northern areas, go east on Queen Mary Highway, cross the Sunny Isle Shopping Center intersection, take Castle Coakley Road to the Peter's Rest intersection and follow police directions on crossing the road safely. Proceed into town and through the Contentment-Bassin Triangle intersection as directed and to the ferry dock.
– Traveling to either the seaplane ramp or the ferry dock from eastern and southern parts of the island, take South Shore Road to Catherine's Rest Road, turn onto Queen Mary Highway toward Contentment-Bassin Triangle, then follow police directions.
Race routes mostly off-limits to motorists
The triathlon consists of three events.
The first is the 1.4-mile swim in the Christiansted harbor, from the Christiansted wharf to Protestant Cay and back.
The second is the 56-mile bicycle race. (Click on the accompanying image to see an enlargement of the triathlon bike course map.)
Cyclists will start at the transition area on the Christiansted wharf, go east on Hospital Street through East End Road (Route 82), turn right onto Southgate Road (Route 60), turn onto Sally's Fancy Road (Route 624), go west to Lowry Hill Road (Route 62), north to East End Road (Route 82) west to Hospital Street, left onto King Street, right onto Strand Lane, left onto Strand Street and right onto King Cross Street.
They will then turn right onto Soboetker Lane, right at Bassin Triangle onto North Side Road (Route75), right onto North Shore Road (Route 80), left onto Route 69, ascend "the Beast," continue along River Road (Route 72), turn left onto Upper Love Road (Route 669), travel across Queen Mary Highway (Route 70) through Estate Golden Grove to Melvin Evans Highway (Route 66), continue on Route 66 onto Queen Mary Highway, go south onto South Shore Road (Route 62) from Peter’s Rest Corner, turn right onto Sally's Fancy Road (Route 624) and right onto South Shore Road (Route 60).
They will continue to the Cramer's Park entrance, turn left onto East End Road (Route 82), return westward to Southgate Road (Route 60), turn right onto Sally's Fancy Road (Route 624), turn right onto Lowry Hill Road (Route 62), turn left onto East End Road (Route 82) and return to Christiansted and the transition area.
The final event is the 13.1-mile foot race.
From the transition area runners will go east on Hospital Street to East End Road (Route 82), continue to the Buccaneer Hotel, enter the hotel grounds, make a loop around the Buccaneer golf course, return westward on Route 82 to Hospital Street, make a turnaround in front of the Wreck Bar, and then repeat the whole loop. Then, returning to Christiansted, they will proceed from Hospital Street left onto Queen Street, then onto Market Street, and then onto King Street to the finish line on the wharf.

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