Jack Trice Stadium and new pedestrian bridge highlights of RAGBRAI’s route into Ames

Teresa Kay Albertson, Ames Tribune
·5 min read

A flare of history and a swath of Cardinal and Gold spirit will great RAGBRAI participants as they enter Ames Tuesday, July 25.

The Ames City Council revealed plans for the local route at Tuesday’s meeting.

The highlight is another trip into Jack Trice Stadium, a call back to how riders were funneled during the 2018 overnight RAGBRAI stop in addition to use of the new pedestrian bridge.

Planning ahead: Where will riders be?

Cycling 83 miles from Carroll to Ames this year, bikers will enter town from the southwest via County Road R-38, which melds into South Dakota Avenue. Luther – a rural town along Highway 17 in Boone County – is the day’s final pass-through town prior to the Ames overnight stop. Riders will proceed north on South Dakota before taking a right-hand turn onto Mortensen Road.

Bikers will share the road with vehicles upon entering Ames on R-38 all the way to the intersection of Mortensen Road and Pinion Drive. However, Mortensen Road will be closed to vehicle traffic east of Pinion Drive (a few hundred yards from the South Dakota intersection), allowing cyclists to use the entire roadway heading east. The Highway 30 access ramp westbound onto South Dakota will be closed to vehicle traffic.

Ames Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips said the traffic signals at the intersection of South Dakota and Mortensen Road will be operated manually to optimize traffic flow.

More: Ames unveils RAGBRAI camping website as leaders ask for volunteer hosts

Riders will funnel onto the south side of the road where Mortensen splits into a boulevard at Ash Avenue while vehicle traffic will be routed onto the north side to allow residents in the neighborhood directly west of the Jack Trice Stadium access in and out of the area.

Participants will then head north with a left-hand turn onto Beach Avenue and travel toward Greenbriar Circle into the back access drive for Reiman Gardens. Riders will loop around the football stadium on the east side through the north parking lots before entering the facility. After touring one of the few Division I stadium’s named in honor of an African-American, riders will exit via use of the new pedestrian bridge over University Boulevard, before finishing at the main Ames welcome areas located in the grassy fields east of the road.

Portions of South 4th Street near Jack Trice Stadium will be closed between University Boulevard and South Hazel Avenue on July 25. The road will open briefly overnight and then close again the morning of July 26 as riders leave Ames heading for Des Moines.

Sixth Street will also be closed at Brookside Park on Tuesday morning into Wednesday morning. Brookside Park is the main campground for the event.

Riders enter onto the floor of Jack Trice Stadium at Iowa State University at the end of the route on July 24, in the overnight town of Ames, for RAGBRAI 2018.
Riders enter onto the floor of Jack Trice Stadium at Iowa State University at the end of the route on July 24, in the overnight town of Ames, for RAGBRAI 2018.

How will RAGBRAI leave Ames?

A push to set a world record has Ames leaders planning for an onslaught of additional riders the next morning on Wednesday, July 26.

RAGBRAI organizers have said they hope to set the single-day mark for most bicyclists on one ride. The current record was set in Italy when 48,615 bicyclists rode an 18-mile stretch. RAGBRAI officials estimate the 50-mile route to Des Moines' overnight stop could draw 100,000 riders, with pass-throughs in Slater, Madrid and Polk City prior to their entrance into the capital city.

More: Concerts, camping and road closures: Planning begins for RAGBRAI 50 in Ames

Cyclists will begin the week's shortest route by taking the same path out of Ames, traveling west on Mortensen Road to South Dakota, where they'll then make their way south to Slater.

Ames staff has designated two drop-off locations for riders hoping to join the route for a single-day ride, preparing for a crowd that could reach record levels. An estimated 32,000 riders visited Des Moines by way of Perry 10 years ago, with early predictions more than doubling that total this time around.

One of Ames' drop-off locations is at South 4th Street which will be accessible to vehicle traffic coming from the north, east and south.

The additional location is for participants arriving from the west on Lincoln Way where they can unload at Tripp Street and Latimer Lane. South 4th Street, Tripp Street and Latimer Lane will be closed Wednesday morning to accommodate new vehicles.

The access ramps from South Dakota to Highway 30 will be again closed for a short time Wednesday morning.

Ames Mayor John Haila voiced concerns at the council meeting Tuesday night about being able to effective inform residents living near the two drop-off locations ahead of RAGBRAI’s visit. He wants to share the news as soon as possible, through various avenues of communication.

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"If you have a huge influx of traffic, I'm assuming you'll have copious amounts of people directing traffic and helping explain how to get in and how to get out," Haila said. "And I'm just wondering about direct mailers to the residents. To me it seems that, over communication, this is the one time to really do it."

Phillips as well as Discover Ames President and CEO Kevin Bourke told the council the city is using all existing communications tools to spread event details. Those avenues include all digital message signs in the city's inventory, and the Ames CitySide mailer insert included in all utility bills in June in addition to informative videos.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Jack Trice tour, new pedestrian bridge highlights of RAGBRAI in Ames