Expect traffic disruptions in Puerto Princesa City from February 28 to March 2 due to the Ironman 70.3 event.
The City Traffic Management Office (CTMO) has announced a traffic rerouting advisory in connection with this triathlete event in a press briefing held recently.
CTMO chief Allan Mabella said that changes in the traffic rerouting and road closures for the Ironman will be implemented during the three-day event, especially for the Prinsesa Run on Friday, February 28, and the main event triathlon on Sunday, March 2, when major roads will be closed for the duration of the event.
Changes will also be implemented by organizers of the event, as the Prinsesa Run will be held at the Puerto Princesa City Baywalk, going to Rizal Avenue and returning to the baywalk.
The five-kilometer run will start at 5 in the afternoon, when runners will take Roxas Street and turn left onto Rizal Avenue, going to the old airport, where the 2.5-kilometer turnaround point is located, and return to the baywalk.
Rizal Avenue will be cleared and closed to traffic at 3 p.m.
“Unlike last year, when the Princesa Run was in Balayong Park, this year, the run will be held along Rizal Avenue so that more people can watch,” Mabella said.
On Saturday, March 1, the Ironkids run will still be held at the Balayong Peoples’ Park and the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex and will start at 5:30 a.m. Portions of Rafols Road and PSU Road will be closed for the event.
For the main event on Sunday, major changes will also be implemented, with the bike and run events all starting and ending at the baywalk. During the previous Ironman in the city, the bike stage ended at the RVM Sports Complex, where the run was also held.
The swim will be at 6:00 a.m., after which the bike and run stages will follow.
The bike stage will take the same route as in previous years but will have some changes. After reaching South National Highway from Abanico Road, bikers will turn right toward Junction 2 and turn around before proceeding to Kilometer 23 at the Iwahig-Napsan intersection and then return to the baywalk for a three-loop run to complete the 90-kilometer bike stage.
After the swim, the bike course goes from the baywalk up Roxas Street, turns left onto Malvar Street, turns left onto Socrates Road to South National Highway (Abanico), turns left to Junction 2, turns around going to Iwahig (near the Napsan intersection), and turns around going back to the baywalk.
During the bike stage, Malvar Street will be closed at 8:30 a.m. and will be opened at 12:30 p.m. once the run is completed. South National Highway, on the other hand, will be closed at 6 a.m. and will be opened at 12 noon.
For the 21-kilometer run stage, participants will start at the baywalk and exit at the Philippine Ports Authority area, turn right onto Gen. Luna Street near Princess Eulalia Park, and turn left onto Rizal Avenue, going to Bancao-bancao (Pardeco), where the turnaround point is at the Bancao-bancao Covered Court, and return to the baywalk.
Rizal Avenue will be closed at around 8:30 and opened at 4 p.m.
Additionally, Mabella said that the parking area at the baywalk will be limited to working committees for the event and other VIPs and guests. The designated parking area is the space near the Sewage Treatment Plant.
For other spectators, the designated parking spaces will be along Quezon Street and Malvar Street between Roxas Street and Del Pilar Street.
Moreover, he said that roads crossing Rizal Avenue, including Roxas St., Burgos St., Valencia St., Lacao St., and Fernandez St. going to National Highway, will be temporarily closed. Vehicles will, however, be allowed to cross when no runner is nearby or in sight, with assistance from traffic management personnel.
