Traffic impact of this Saturday’s IRONMAN in The Woodlands

Love it or hate it – most of that depending on if you have to leave the house that day – this Saturday is the annual IRONMAN triathlon, the athletic extravaganza where thousands of participants swim, bike, and run in a grueling test of endurance.

Equally grueling is the traffic impact the race has on local residents and visitors. Saturday will quite possibly be the one day a year with the most out-of-state (and country) license plates swarming the area, particularly around Town Center.

Fortunately, Woodlands Online, courtesy of The Woodlands Township, has a full list of congestion points, lane closures, traffic impacts, and road shutdowns. Going down in severity of areas with the greatest impact, here are some helpful updates.

The following corridors will experience the heaviest congestion and longest delays: 

• Grogan's Mill Road 

  • Northbound from Woodlands Parkway to Timberloch Place– Impacted all day until 6:30 p.m.

  • Northbound from Sawdust Road to Woodlands Parkway – 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

  • Southbound from Timberloch Place to Sawmill Road – 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

  • All intersections between Timberloch Place and Sawmill Road – Impacted until 6:30 p.m. 

• Sawdust Road 

  • From Sawmill Road to Grogan’s Mill intersection – 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

• Woodlands Parkway (Eastbound) 

  • From John Cooper Drive to Grogan’s Mill Road – Reduced to one lane until approximately noon

  • Intersections from John Cooper Drive/Cochran’s Crossing to Grogan’s Mill – Impacted until approximately noon 

• Lake Woodlands Drive 

  • Eastbound from Lakeside Boulevard to Grogan’s Mill Road – Impacted until approximately 11 a.m.

Some roadways will be fully closed or heavily restricted: 

• Hardy Tollway (southbound lanes)  – Closed Friday, April 17 at 10 p.m., reopens Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m. 

• Waterway Avenue – Closed from Lake Robbins Drive to Timberloch Place beginning Friday, April 17 through midnight Saturday, April 18

As the run course begins late morning, additional closures will extend into the evening:  

• Lake Woodlands Drive at E. Panther Creek – 11:10 a.m. to 11 p.m.  

• Woodlands Parkway at E. Panther Creek – 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. 

• Woodlands Parkway at Lake Front Circle – 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. 

• Timberloch at Woodloch Forest – 11:45 a.m. to midnight

Drivers should expect rolling closures and reduced lanes across multiple roadways, including: 

• Lake Robbins Drive and Six Pines Drive area  

• Timberloch Place and Grogan’s Mill Road  

• I-45 service roads and nearby connectors  

• Springwoods Village, Grand Parkway and Hardy Toll Road connections  

• Sawdust Road, Sawmill Road and Budde Road corridors 

Closures begin as early as 5 a.m. and may last until 6:30 p.m. or later, depending on the location.

We encourage you to stay tuned to Woodlands Online throughout the day for updates; in an emergency or situation of great importance, you can also try the IRONMAN Traffic Hotline at 509-713-2742.

Woodlands Online

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