Causeway Drive closes 5:15 to 10 a.m. and downtown Front Street most of the day Saturday for Ironman 70.3. Here is every closure, by time, and the detours.
More than 3,500 athletes will swim, bike and run through Wilmington on Saturday in the Ironman 70.3 North Carolina triathlon. Roads from Wrightsville Beach to Greenfield Lake will close or narrow from early morning until the evening.
The race details are in the city’s traffic notice, published Monday. The times below come from the race organizer’s traffic impact sheet, which the city links.
The worst of it falls in two waves:
- Morning, 5:15 to 10:30 a.m.: the bike course leaves Wrightsville Beach and runs up Eastwood Road, Market Street, College Road and MLK Parkway.
- Midmorning to 5 p.m.: the run course closes Front Street from downtown south to Greenfield Lake.
Already closed downtown
These closures started this week and last until 8 p.m. Saturday:
- Water Street from Market Street to Princess Street, since 8 a.m. Thursday
- Princess Street, the half block from Water Street toward Front Street, since 8 a.m. Thursday
- Water Street from Princess Street to Chestnut Street, since 8 a.m. Friday, according to the race sheet
The city’s notice lists Hanover Street between North Front and North Second streets as closed from 8 a.m. Friday.
The bike course: Saturday morning
Traffic control devices go out from 3 a.m. The city says the course stays open to traffic, with lane closures and changed traffic patterns. Most traffic lights will work as normal, and officers will be at intersections.
Cyclists leave Wrightsville Beach in a coned-off far left lane. They ride Eastwood Road, Market Street, College Road and MLK Parkway to the Isabel Holmes Bridge, then north on U.S. 421 into Pender County and back the same way.
| Road | Time | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Causeway Drive, Waynick Boulevard to the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge | 5:15 to 10 a.m. | Closed; use Lumina Avenue to Salisbury Street |
| Side roads onto eastbound Eastwood Road and eastbound MLK Parkway, except Market Street and College Road | 7 to 10:30 a.m. | Closed |
| Eastwood Road and Military Cutoff Road intersection | 7 to 10:30 a.m. | Delays |
| College Road southbound, MLK Parkway to Racine Drive | 7 to 10:30 a.m. | Delays |
| Market Street eastbound, College Road to MLK Parkway | 7 to 10:30 a.m. | Delays |
| MLK Parkway eastbound, MacRae Street to College Road | 7 to 10:30 a.m. | Delays; one lane open |
| U.S. 76 eastbound ramp to U.S. 421 northbound | 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Closed; detour via the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge’s Front Street interchange |
| U.S. 421 north and south, I-140 to the Isabel Holmes Bridge | 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Delays |
| I-140 exits onto U.S. 421, north and south | 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Closed |
| I-140 west ramp from U.S. 421 north and south | 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Closed |
| I-140 east ramp from U.S. 421 north and south | 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. | Delays |
NCDOT’s DriveNC map also lists rolling lane closures from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Racine Drive, Old Eastwood Road, Garris Road, Autumn Hall Drive, Pavilion Place and North Kerr Avenue, near the course.
The run course: Saturday midmorning to late afternoon
The run starts on North Front Street near Brunswick Street. Runners head south on Front Street to Greenfield Lake, loop the lake and come back north. The finish is near the Alton Lennon Federal Courthouse on Water Street.
| Road | Time | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| North Second Street, North Front Street to Brunswick Street | 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Closed |
| Brunswick Street, Third Street to North Front Street | 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Closed |
| Hanover Street, Nutt Street to North Front Street | 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Closed |
| Front Street, both directions, Brunswick Street to Red Cross Street | 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Closed |
| Front Street southbound, North Third Street to Dawson Street | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Closed |
| South Front Street northbound, South Third Street to Dawson Street | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Closed |
| South Third Street southbound at Wooster Street | 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Closed |
| South Third Street, Carolina Beach Road to Greenfield Street | 9 or 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Closed |
| Westbound access to Water Street from Front Street cross streets | 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Metered; use other routes |
Front Street between Harnett Street and North Third Street stays open for local traffic, according to the race sheet.
At Greenfield Lake, the inner lane of Lake Shore Drive, the one closest to the lake, closes from Fifth Avenue to Carolina Beach Road. Traffic runs one way, counterclockwise. Side roads are closed or right turn only. “No left-hand turns will be allowed,” the city’s notice says.
The swim
The 1.2-mile swim is in the Intracoastal Waterway at Wrightsville Beach. The city’s notice lists no road closures for the swim itself. The Causeway Drive closure above covers the start of the bike course.
What it means for you
- Going to the beach Saturday morning: Causeway Drive is closed from 5:15 to 10 a.m. Use Lumina Avenue to Salisbury Street.
- Crossing town on the east side before 10:30 a.m.: expect delays on Eastwood Road, Market Street, College Road and MLK Parkway. You cannot turn onto eastbound Eastwood or MLK from most side streets.
- Heading north on U.S. 421: the U.S. 76 ramp and the I-140 exits onto U.S. 421 close for for much of the day. Allow extra time heading north.
- Downtown and the South Front Street area: Front Street is closed from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. in stages. If you live off Lake Shore Drive, plan on right turns only.
- Questions: the race staff take calls at 910-465-8504 or email northcarolina70.3@ironman.com. The city’s event specialist is at 910-772-4177.
- Live conditions: check DriveNC or call 511 for state roads. Next week’s lane closures on U.S. 74 are on our road closures page.
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