Road closures, drone and boat restrictions ahead of Cooper River Bridge Run

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The 45th annual Cooper River Bridge Run kicks off on Saturday and with it comes road closures and restrictions on drones and boats around the race route.

Mount Pleasant Police say delays due to the race will begin as early as 9 a.m. Friday morning along Coleman Boulevard as set up begins for the race though no actual closures will take place until Saturday morning.

In Mount Pleasant, the following road closures are scheduled:

Saturday:

• Coleman Boulevard from Fairmont to Hibben beginning at 3 a.m.
• Coleman Boulevard from Chuck Dawley Boulevard to Live Oak beginning at 5 a.m.
• Coleman Boulevard from the Ravenel Bridge to Live Oak beginning at 6 a.m.
• The Ravenel Bridge will close at 7 a.m. and a diversion will be put in place at Highway 17 at Houston Northcutt onto Mathis Ferry Road for southbound traffic

In Charleston, road closures begin on Friday night:

Friday:

• George Street between King and Anson Streets will be closed between 10 p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday.
• Meeting Street between George and Wentworth Streets will close at 10 p.m. and reopen after finish line clean up on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday:

• Calhoun Street between Meeting to Anson Street will be closed to all traffic from midnight to 2:00 PM; residential limited traffic only until 4:00 AM when the road will be closed entirely.
• Calhoun Street, between King and East Bay Street, closes from 4 a.m. until 2 p.m. or Charleston Police re-opens.
• Hutson Street between King and Meeting from 4 a.m. until 2 p.m.
• Meeting Street from John to Wentworth closes from 4 a.m. until 2 p.m. or CPD re-opens. [Wentworth and Society will be open until 7 a.m. unless pedestrian traffic forces early closure]
• Charlotte Street - Elizabeth to Meeting Street- from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Henrietta Street – Elizabeth to Meeting Street from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• George Street – East Bay Street to King Street from 4:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Anson Street – Calhoun to Society Street will be closed from 4:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Alexander Street from Charlotte to George Street from 4:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Elizabeth Street – Calhoun to Charlotte Street- from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Arthur Ravenel Bridge Wonderway Lane closes at 6:30 a.m. to clear the bridge of pedestrian traffic UNTIL the Bridge re-opens following the RACE.
• Race Route in the City of Charleston and support streets close at 6:00 AM until the participants are finished and the roadways are cleaned (11:30-12:00 PM) the entire Arthur Ravenel Bridge will be closed until the participants have cleared the bridge, support staff removed, barricades removed, and the bridge cleaned of any debris.
  • RACE ROUTE: MEETING STREET FROM ROMNEY TO WOOLFE & JOHN TO HASELL, WOOLFE STREET FROM MEETING TO KING, KING STREET FROM CANNON TO HASELL, WENTWORTH STREET FROM KING TO MEETING, SOCIETY STREET FROM KING TO MEETING, GEORGE STREET FROM KING TO MEETING, HUTSON STREET FROM KING TO MEETING

Cooper River and Town Creek Reaches temporary security zone:

The United States Coast Guard has also established a temporary security zone on the Cooper River and Town Creek Reaches near the Ravenel Bridge during the race.

The zone prohibits persons and vessels from entering or anchoring inside the zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard says the zone will be in effect from 7:30 - 11 a.m. Saturday morning and questions can be directed to on-scene security through VHF-FM channel 16, the waterways management division at 843-740-3184, or the 24-hour command center at 843-740-7050.

FAA issues temporary flight restrictions for drones

The Federal Aviation Administration is also issuing a flight restriction in the area for drones. The no-drone zone goes into effect Saturday between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The FAA defines the restricted space as:

• Center: On the CHARLESTON VORTAC (CHS) 138-degree radial at 8.9 nautical miles. (Latitude: 32º47′36″N, Longitude: 79º54′28″W)Radius:2.5 nautical miles
• Altitude: From the surface up to and including 1000 feet AGL

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