Sonora Ready For Cyclists
Sonora, CA — Thousands will be ascending into downtown Sonora Wednesday morning to view the largest bicycle race in North America.
Stage Four of the Amgen Tour of California will start at Courthouse Park in Sonora at 10:35am, and end in Clovis. At 133 miles, it is the longest stretch of this year’s tour.
“It is going to be a wonderful time to be in downtown Sonora,” said Darrell Slocum, one of the local steering committee members. “There will be a tremendous amount of activity, so we hope people will come early and stay late.”
Because of the unique terrain, cycling enthusiasts are expected to be viewing from various locations along the route.
Many of the downtown side streets will be blocked off starting late this afternoon. The CHP reports that areas along the actual route will be closed at least 30 minutes before the race arrives, and will reopen upon completion.
The Route:
Bicyclists will pedal down Washington Street, over Highway 108 to Lime Kiln Road, before turning right onto Campo Seco. South of Jamestown, the bicyclists will go down Jacksonville Road, over Lake Don Pedro and then turn left onto Highway 120 towards Moccasin. At the southern junction of highway 49 and 120, bicyclists will turn and make their way up Highway 49 to Coulterville and then follow the highway as it winds through the towns of Mariposa and eventually Oakhurst. On Highway 41, bicyclists will swiftly travel out of the Sierra foothills before ending this leg of the race in the Fresno suburb of Clovis.
Stage Four will be aired Wednesday at 2pm on cable television channel NBC Sports (formerly Verus Network), bringing national attention to the Sonora community.
22-year-old Slovakian cyclist Peter Sagan has outpaced the field during the early stages. Click here to find out more.
Two local schools have decided to cancel classes on Wednesday, Sonora High School and Sonora Elementary.
It is noted that traffic is going to be slow-and-go on Wednesday morning. “Bring your patience,” says Police Chief Mark Stinson. “If you are expecting to get somewhere in the downtown area quickly, it is not going to happen.”
Transit buses will be running from various locations to help alleviate traffic issues. Shuttles will start at 8am, with the last one leaving downtown at 1:30pm. Click here to view the map.
The Sonora Police Department reminds visitors and residents of the following street closures in downtown Sonora.
These streets will be closed Tuesday at 3:00 pm through Wednesday at 2:00 pm for scheduled AMGEN events.
• Green Street between Dodge and Bradford Streets.
• Yaney Avenue between Washington and Norlin Streets.
• Jackson Street between Washington and Green Streets.
The following streets will be closed Wednesday between 4:30 am and 2:00 pm.
• Highway 49 (Washington Street) southbound traffic lane between School Street and Stockton Road.
• Highway 49 (Washington Street) northbound traffic lane from Stockton Road to Elkin Street.
The following street will be closed on Wednesday between 10:00 am and 11:00 am.
• South Washington Street from State Route 49 (Stockton Road) to State Route 108.
No parking will be allowed at the following locations.
• There will be no parking on the east and west sides of Washington Street from Elkin Street to Stockton Road on Wednesday between 2:00 am and 2:00 pm.
• There will be no parking on the east and west sides of Stewart Street from Elkin Street to Church Street on Wednesday between 2:00 am and 2:00 pm.
• There will be no parking on the north and south sides of State Route 49 (Stockton Road) between South Washington Street and Green Street on Wednesday between 8:00 am and 11:00 am.
• There will be no parking on the east and west sides of South Washington Street from Stockton Road to Williams Street on Wednesday between 8:00 am and 11:00 am.
• The Fountain parking lot at the intersection of the intersection of South Washington Street and Church Street will be closed and reserved for disabled parking, with a valid placard only on Wednesday between 8:00 am and 11:00 am.
Parking will be allowed at the following location.
• The regular “No Parking” shoulder area on the east side of South Washington Street north of Highway 108 may be used as parking by the general public.
Expect detours for Highway 49 (Washington Street) on Wednesday between 4:30 am to 2:00 pm. All southbound traffic on Highway 49 (Washington Street) will be detoured at the intersection of Highway 49 (Washington Street) and School Street. Traffic will travel on School Street to Snell Street, then from Snell Street to Bonanza Road, then from Bonanza Road to Forrest Road, then Forrest Road to Highway 49 (Stockton Road). All northbound traffic on Highway 49 (Washington Street) will be detoured at the intersection of Washington Street and Stockton Road. Traffic will be detoured to Church Street and then northbound on Stewart Street. Traffic will travel on Stewart Street to Elkin Street, then Elkin Street to Highway 49 (Washington Street).
The following parking lots will be closed to the public on Wednesday.
• The ground floor of the Terzich Parking Structure on Washington Street.
• The Sonora Fire Station Parking Lot on Shepherd Street.
• The City Hall Parking Lot on Green Street, levels one and two.
• The Red Church Parking Lot on Snell Street.
• The Green Street Parking Lot south of Linoberg Street.
The following parking lots will be open to the public on Wednesday.
• The Drabkin Parking Lot at Theall and Stewart Street.
• The Balestra Parking Lot on Stewart Street south of Mehun Street.
• The Shepherd Street parking Lot north of Mehun Street.
• The Oneto Parking Lot at Stewart and Lyons Street.
• The Woods Creek/Rotary Park Parking Lot.
Handicapped parking will be available at the Fountain parking lot at the intersection of S. Washington Street and Church Street.
To find out more about some of the local events, click atocsonora.com.
