El Tour de Tucson 2018 brings a new route and new road closures

El Tour de Tucson is bringing in a new route for 2018, which means new road closures. 

Click here for a full map of the tour.

For the 36th edition of El Tour, there are expected to be around 7,000 cyclists and 2,000 volunteers helping to keep them and drivers on the road safe. 

Route director for El Tour, Tim Escobedo, says the change in route is attributed to cutting down costs for police, barricades and Oro Valley no longer wanting to take part. 

"Every day I've been riding the route to make sure that all the potholes that everybody is responsible for because not only our staff but all the municipalities, the county, the state, town of Marana, Oro Valley, all of them have participated to make sure this is a safe ride."

One of the big additions to this year's route is the addition of Sabino Canyon. That's where the 50 mile race will begin. 

Below is a list of road closures and times for Saturday, 17. 

El Tour Road Closures

DOWNTOWN

·         6^th Ave from Broadway to 22^nd Street - Friday from 3pm to Saturday 10pm

·         15^th Street from 6^th Ave to 4^th Ave - Saturday from 5am to 8am

·         4^th Ave from 15^th Street to Broadway - Saturday from 5am to 8am

·         Broadway eastbound from 4^th Ave to Aviation Hwy, Bus Lane, Saturday from 7am to 8am

REMAINDER OF ROUTE

·         Aviation Hwy, both directions, from Broadway to Golf Links, Saturday from 7am to 10am

·         Irvington East bound from Kolb to Houghton, Saturday 7am to 10am

·         Escalante east bound from Houghton to Old Spanish Trail 8am to 10am

·         Houghton south bound from Coyote Willow to Maryann Cleveland Way, Saturday 7am to 10am

·         Maryann Cleveland Way /Colossal Cave Road / Pistol Hill from Houghton to Old Spanish Trail, closed eastbound, Saturday 7 am to 10:30am

·         Sabino Canyon from Kolb to Tanque Verde from 8:30 am to 12pm north bound only

·         Silverbell from Ina to Sunset, Saturday from 9am to 5pm

Road delays:

Ina and Oracle will have long traffic delays with traffic control in place at the intersection. Frequent delays from 9:30am through 11am. Less frequent through 1:30pm.

Expect delays on Tangerine at Thornydale and at Dove Mountain from 9:30am to 2:30pm

For more information on Perimeter Bicycling please call 520-745-2033