YOUR AD HERE »

USA Pro Challenge: How to avoid traffic headaches during the USA Pro Challenge

Scott Franz
The USA Pro Challenge will cause major traffic re-routes and delays in Steamboat Springs.
File photo

When will roads close?

Saturday:

Yampa Street will close at 5 a.m. from Fifth to 11th streets and will remain closed until 1 a.m. Tuesday. Several side streets downtown will also close at this time.

Sunday:

Lincoln Avenue will close from Fifth to 11th streets at 5 a.m.

Traffic will be detoured onto Oak Street.

Monday:

Another portion of Lincoln Avenue to Third Street will close at 7 a.m.

From 11 a.m. to noon, Oak Street will close from Fourth to 10th streets to make way for parade laps prior to the start of the race.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be rolling closures and up to hour-long delays on the following roads:

• U.S. Highway 40 between the Mount Werner exit and 13th Street

• 13th Street and Routt County Road 33 from Lincoln Avenue to C.R. 27

• C.R. 27 from C.R. 33 to Colorado Highway 131

• Colo. 131 from C.R. 27 to C.R. 14

• C.R. 14 from Colo. 131 to Mount Werner Road

• Mount Werner Road from River Road to U.S. Hwy. 40 exit ramp

When will roads close?

Saturday:

Yampa Street will close at 5 a.m. from Fifth to 11th streets and will remain closed until 1 a.m. Tuesday. Several side streets downtown will also close at this time.

Sunday:



Lincoln Avenue will close from Fifth to 11th streets at 5 a.m.

Traffic will be detoured onto Oak Street.



Monday:

Another portion of Lincoln Avenue to Third Street will close at 7 a.m.

From 11 a.m. to noon, Oak Street will close from Fourth to 10th streets to make way for parade laps prior to the start of the race.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be rolling closures and up to hour-long delays on the following roads:

• U.S. Highway 40 between the Mount Werner exit and 13th Street

• 13th Street and Routt County Road 33 from Lincoln Avenue to C.R. 27

• C.R. 27 from C.R. 33 to Colorado Highway 131

• Colo. 131 from C.R. 27 to C.R. 14

• C.R. 14 from Colo. 131 to Mount Werner Road

• Mount Werner Road from River Road to U.S. Hwy. 40 exit ramp

— For a large part of Monday, your personal vehicle likely won’t be the most efficient or expedient way of getting around Steamboat Springs.

And don’t think about parking at Howelsen Hill if you don’t like the possibility of getting stuck there for awhile.

Various road closures for the 2015 USA Pro Challenge will inevitably create traffic delays on race day, especially near the downtown corridor.

Parking close to the race festivities is expected to be sparse and nearly non-existent. And some popular detour routes, such as River Road, will also see delays because of the race action.

Here are a few ways to avoid travel headaches:

Bus it

Steamboat Springs Transit Manager Jonathan Flint has an enticing offer to locals and visitors who want to avoid travel headaches and not worry about parking.

Hop aboard, and leave the navigating and driving to the bus drivers.

The city’s free-to-rider bus service is putting additional buses and staff into circulation on the race days to keep things running more smoothly.

Flint is expecting to transport 10,000 passengers on Monday.

He recommends that people who want to see the big start of the race downtown plan on hopping on a bus with the intention of arriving by 10 to 10:30 a.m.

Lincoln Avenue and Yampa Street will already be closed by then, and Oak Street will close at 11 a.m.

Buses will drop off and pick up at several temporary bus stops on Oak while that street is still open.

“Monday is going to be a little interesting,” Flint said.

Buses won’t be exempt from traffic delays, Flint said, but if one does get stuck in a gridlock, passengers will be able to exit and continue walking more quickly to their destination when it’s safe to do so.

People who are stuck in traffic in their cars will not have the same luxury.

The extra bus service will run during the weekend and again on Monday.

View the schedule and learn about a bus tracking app at http://www.steamboatsprings.net/transit.

Bike it

Chances are when U.S. Highway 40 is reduced at times to one lane in each direction, you will be able to pedal your bike faster on the Yampa River Core Trail to get in and out of downtown.

Park-and-ride it

If you get there early enough, you’ll likely be able to find a parking space at the Stock Bridge Transit Center just west of downtown off of U.S. Highway 40. From there, it’s a short walk or bus ride to the downtown corridor from here.

Still driving?

Expect delays and plan ahead using the road closure times listed in this story.

To reach Scott Franz, call 970-871-4210, email scottfranz@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottFranz10


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.