Centerline Road will be closed Saturday for the 8 Tuff Miles race until the participants are safely past, Deputy Police Chief Maria Jones said Thursday, firming up information provided this week by the race committee.
Gilly Grimes of St. John’s chapter of the Amateur Radio Emergency System pointed out that it was particularly important for vacation villa managers to alert their guests of this road closure because if guests are planning to depart the villa between 7 and 10:30 a.m., they could find themselves stuck and miss their planes.
The race runs from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay, and while many roads lead off to neighborhoods along Centerline Road, the only major intersections are Gifft Hill Road near the Cruz Bay end of the race and the north section of King Hill Road close to the Coral Bay end.
A back road through Bethany connects Centerline Road to Route 104 at the top of Jacob’s Ladder. And a mostly dirt road leads through Catherineberg to the North Shore Road, but four-wheel drive is recommended for this road.
The road through Bordeaux is in good shape and can be used to connect the far reaches of Coral Bay to Centerline at the Bordeaux overlook. That section of Centerline Road should be free of runners near the end of the race.
Both Jones and Grimes said that the south side of King Hill Road, which is unpaved, is in terrible shape and should not be attempted without four-wheel drive.
The race is scheduled to begin at 7:15 a.m. with the fastest racers reaching the finishing line from about 8 a.m. onward.
“I’m urging the public that if they need to leave home, they leave up to 7 a.m.,” Jones said.
She expects that it will take the bulk of the racers between 90 and 120 minutes to reach the finish line.
Jeff Miller of the race committee said earlier this week that the course will officially close at 10:30 a.m.
Those drivers who are on Centerline Road with the racers will be asked to pull over, Jones said, adding that provisions are made to handle any emergencies that should occur off the race course during the race.
