Heavy traffic and road closings during large events are always expected, but there are ways around it. In fact, the city of Chattanooga is trying to make navigating it easier every year.
“We’re really fortunate, and we’ve essentially got this down to a science,” Justin Strickland with Chattanooga’s Public Works Department, who’s heading traffic control plans for this year’s Ironman.
Strickland recommends people take one of three options if they plan to be out and about Sunday morning.
“One of the easiest ways to be able to navigate around the Ironman closures on Sunday morning is Market Street, which will be open,” he says.
He also recommends taking major transportation routes.
“Take the interstate and Highway 27 if you want to make sure you avoid all the closures,” he says. “If you take either of those three downtown, you will escape any of the major closures that might delay you.”
Public activities begin Friday afternoon with the IRONMAN Village and Official IRONMAN Store opening at 2:00pm at Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga Green, and Ross’ Landing.
But, timing is key: Strickland says he highly encourages people to give themselves extra time to get where they need to be.
“If it normally takes you 30 minutes to get from point A to point B on a Sunday morning, give yourself an extra half hour,” he says.
Strickland wants to remind people, although this heavy traffic is frustrating, it’s only temporary.
“You might be briefly stopped downtown, but it’ll just be brief by the time it’s late morning,” he says.
With every Ironman, Chattanooga’s Public Works Department is developing new strategies to reduce congestion downtown.
“It really has been narrowed down to create the minimal amount of impact but still have the greatest good overall for both the event and for Chattanooga.” Strickland says. “The timing is there for a reason. The location is picked for that reason.”
“We have said no to events that would cause too heavy of an impact to both drivers and the general public. We were not afraid to say no, but we always make sure there’s a good balance, and Ironman is one of those.”