For the next few days motorists in the city might find themselves looking for an alternate route as several streets will be closed at different times for the annual Covered Bridge Celebration.
The Elizabethton Police Department is operating the road closures to help block off traffic around areas of the annual downtown festival to provide safety for pedestrians as well as to cordon off space for the actual event.
In addition to the closures around festival events, EPD Maj. Shannon Peters said there will be some traffic disruption on Saturday during the Covered Bridge 5k Run/3k Walk. The Run/Walk, sponsored by Mountain State Health Alliance Foundation, is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. with registration beginning at 6:30 a.m. at Elizabethton City Hall.
The race course will take participants throughout the downtown area and on a portion of the Tweetsie Trail from the downtown area along State Line Road.
Intersections along the race course will be temporarily closed down during the race to allow runners and walkers to pass through the area safely, Peters said.
“We’re going to have officers at every affected intersection,” Peters said. “Obey the officers and watch out for the runners.”
Peters said the disruptions to intersections will be done as quickly as possible.
“We are just trying to make sure everyone is safe,” he said.
Road closures for the actual festival will begin this afternoon with more closures added on Friday and Saturday.
The following is a list of the road closures and times planned by the Elizabethton Police Department for the festival:
•From 2 p.m. today until the end of the festival, East Elk Avenue will be closed from Riverside Drive —at the west end of the Elk Avenue Bridge — to the Soldier’s Monument in front of the Carter County Courthouse. Motorists will still be able to access the traffic circle around the monument in order to travel on Main Street or to take East Elk Avenue to Highway 19E.
Also closed from 2 p.m. today until the end of the festival will be Academy Street from East Elk Avenue to Second Street.
• Beginning Friday morning at 12 a.m., Riverside Drive from East E Street to East Elk Avenue will be closed until the end of the festival. Riverside Drive from East Elk Avenue to Hattie Avenue will be open only to southbound traffic to allow motorists to exit the downtown area. These roads will remain closed until the festival concludes.
• On Saturday at 5:30 a.m., officers will close East E Street from Riverside Drive to Sycamore Street and will also close Riverside Drive from Mapes Drive to East E Street. Motorists will still be able to access the parking lot at Tetrick’s Funeral Home. These roads will remain closed until the end of the festival on Saturday night.
• The Car Show in downtown on Saturday evening will result in more lane closures. Beginning at 5 p.m., East Elk Avenue will be closed from Doe Avenue and Elm Street to Riverside Drive. Pine Street/Armed Forces Drive will be closed from the public parking lot near East D Street to the intersection with East E Street. East E Street will be closed from Pine Street/Armed Forces Drive to Elm Street. Elm Street will be closed from East E Street to East Elk Avenue. Sycamore Street will be closed from the alleyway at City Hall to the alleyway at Elizabethton Federal bank. Access to the ATM at Elizabethton Federal will still be available. These road closures will remain in effect until the conclusion of the festival.