Traffic Closures and Parking Information for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado is lucky enough to host stage 6 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. In honor of the race a free family festival is even being held on Wednesday, August 19th. The big race hits Northern Colorado this Saturday August 22nd. It's when bicyclist and media will flood roads from The Ranch through Windsor, Loveland, Carter Lake, up Buckhorn Canyon to Rist Canyon, Horsetooth Reservoir and then finishing in Old Town Fort Collins. Whether you want a great place to watch, or just want to know what roads will be closed, the information is below.
Official USAPC press release:
How to Access the USA Pro Challenge Stage 6 Northern Colorado
Traffic and Parking Information
The USA Pro Challenge (USAPC) is headed to Northern Colorado on Aug. 22. Spectators are encouraged to participate in the numerous activities planned around the race and also be aware of the road closures associated with the event.
The sixth stage of the seven-stage race starts at 11:35 a.m. in Loveland at The Ranch Events Complex before going through Windsor, Loveland, Carter Lake, up Buckhorn Canyon to Rist Canyon, Horsetooth Reservoir and then finishing in Old Town Fort Collins. Cyclists are expected to arrive in Fort Collins around 1:30 p.m. that day and reach the finish line on Mountain Avenue by 1:45 (women's race) and 3:30 p.m. (men's race). The race will result in some street closures throughout Northern Colorado along the route.
Visitors are encouraged to ride their bikes to the race. Fort Collins attendees can also take MAX and Transfort. MAX will run every 10 minutes on race day. There will be two minor interruptions when the racers cross Mason Street, but the service will run as normal otherwise. Street parking in the downtown area will be available off of the race route as well as at the Civic Center and Oak/Remington parking lots.
In Loveland, visitors are encouraged to ride their bikes or carpool to the Start ceremony at the Ranch. Parking is available at the Ranch. Parking is also available at Chapungu Sculpture Park near the start. Visitors can catch one of the free COLT Corn Roast Festival buses to experience the USA Pro Challenge sprint in downtown Loveland. Two shuttle buses will run every hour and will pickup at the Rocky Mountain Center for Innovation and Technology (RMCIT), 815 14th Street SW at :20 each hour and at Orchard’s Shopping Center, 261, E. 29th Street at :00 each hour, dropping off at the corner of 5th Street and Cleveland Ave. downtown at :10 each hour. Downtown parking is available at Bill Reed Middle School, Civic Center, Library Park, 5th Street and Jefferson Ave., Hatfield Chilson Recreation, Centennial Park, Fairgrounds Park and the Barnes Softball Complex.
Please remember these few rules:
- No parking on private property
- Vehicles parked roadside must be fully off the roadway (tires outside the white line or off the pavement)
- No parking on private property (including private business parking lots), and do not block access to private driveways or gates. Vehicles parked on the roadway, blocking driveways, or parked on private property without the owner's permission will be towed
Unique among USAPC stages, the compact stage six northern Colorado route layout means that even as the racers cover 100 miles, they end up at a finish line only about 15 miles from the start. For spectators, this presents a unique opportunity to join the free Beer and Bike Tours Pro Challenge Shortcut. Ride or drive to the start at the Ranch Events Complex in Loveland and meet up with the bike parade. Ride participants will arrive at the finish in time to see both the women's and men's race finales and enjoy the finish festival atmosphere without worrying about parking in old town Fort Collins. There is no need to sign up. Participants should meet at the starting arch at the Ranch at noon on race day.
Friday Night Closures:
- Portions of Mountain Ave. and nearby surrounding streets in Old Town will be closed for start of Set-up of the Finish Line
- Horsetooth Reservoir Dams: Road 23 will be closed to vehicle traffic from 42C across Horsetooth Dams to Road 48C. Closure will start at dusk on Friday night at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. Access to these viewing areas will only be accessible via pedestrian or bicycle. Parking will be available at Hughes Stadium for a fee. Parking along the roads will not be allowed
Race Day Closures:
The Ranch Events Complex/ Eastern Loveland/ Windsor:
- Approx. 11 a.m. CR 5 (Fairgrounds Ave.) at Crossroads Blvd. will be closed to Hwy 392
- Approx. 11 a.m. Hwy. 392 will be closed to right turns onto CR 5 (Fairgrounds), 20 minutes later at 11:20 a.m. there will be a full closure of 392- from CR 5 east to Hwy 257 until the Peloton has passed. (approx. Noon)
Loveland:
- Southbound Cleveland (Hwy 287) will be closed from 7th Street to 1st Street as part of the enclosure for the Corn Roast Festival Parade at 8 a.m. and will remain closed through the bike race passing through (approximately 12:30 p.m.)
- Approx. 11:35 a.m. route through Loveland along 1stStreet will be closed until both Peloton’s pass
- Northsouth traffic on major roads will be allowed to cross as gaps in the race allow
Carter Lake:
- At approx. Noon - loop around Carter Lake Reservoir will be closed to traffic entering (limited local traffic may be allowed). Full closure at approx. 12:30 p.m. until the Peloton Passes (approx. 1:30 p.m.)
CR 29/ Hwy 34/ CR 27/Masonville:
- At 11:30 a.m. CR 27 (Buckhorn Rd.) will be closed south of Rist Canyon Road South to Hwy 34 (some local vehicle traffic may be allowed & bicycle/pedestrian traffic will be allowed)
- Hwy 34 will be closed as each Peloton comes through and traffic will be allowed to pass if time allows in between races
Rist Canyon/ KOM
- At approximately 12:15 p.m. Rist Canyon Road will be closed from Buckhorn Canyon in both directions to Bellvue. (Some local traffic may be allowed & bicycle/pedestrian traffic will be allowed until Peloton’s approach approximately 1 p.m.)
Fort Collins/ Horsetooth Reservoir
- Approx. 1 p.m. - CR 50 E, CR 21, Overland Trail will be closed from Bellvue to the intersection of Overland and Mulberry. (dependent on race status)
- Approx. 2:15 p.m. Overland trail South of Mulberry to CR 42 C, as well as CR 42 C will be closed until the peloton passes.(dependent on race status)
- At Approximately 1:10 p.m. Mulberry Ave. will be closed at Overland to College. (Dependent on race status). Cross traffic will be allowed to cross between women’s and men’s races if time allows.
- For the downtown Finish College Ave will be closed from Mulberry to Laporte Street at approximately 1:30 p.m. and will re-open just after the finish (approximately 3:45 p.m.)
All other closures along the route will be a “rolling enclosure”- streets will close as the lead Colorado State Patrol vehicle arrives at an intersection and remain closed until the last State Patrol car passes- an estimated time of 20-40 minutes dependent on race status.
In areas where both the women and men’s races occur- cross street traffic will be allowed to pass between races ONLY if time allows which will be dependent on the race status. In the City of Fort Collins for any vehicles left in the No Parking Zones, Crossroads Towing will relocate vehicles to the empty lot on the southwest corner of Cherry Street and N. Mason Street.
For more information on the USAPC race and closures visit fcgov.com/prochallenge or the online race guide. Follow the USAPC Northern Colorado Facebook page, Facebook.com/GoNoCoPro for live updates on race day.