Road closures begin at 10 a.m. Friday with Business Boulevard in front of Town Square Park and the People Mover Transit Center shutting down. The closure will be extended to the section of Business Boulevard between Regency Drive and the access to the Timber Ridge condominiums near Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union at 5 p.m. and will remain closed for the duration of the festival.

There will be additional closures for the annual 5-kilometer run and parade. The Old Glenn Highway, between Eagle River Loop Road and Monte Road, will be closed at 10:15 a.m. Saturday.

Traffic on Centerfield Drive, Old Eagle River Road and Monte Drive will also be impacted by the closures, as they will be used in the staging of the festival parade. Staging will start at 8 a.m. Saturday at Eagle River Elementary School and on Centerfield Drive.

The parade route begins at Centerfield Drive and proceeds north on the Old Glenn Highway. It turns onto Business Boulevard at the Eagle River Loop Road intersection and returns to Centerfield Drive.

The closures are necessary to ensure for the safety, said Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susie Gorski.

“We recognize that these temporary road closures and restricted accesses are sometimes difficult for residents and merchants,” she said. “We ask for some consideration and patience during the festival.”

“It’s vital that we close the main roads down in the downtown area to accommodate the race and the parade,” Gorski said. “This closure is being done to promote public safety in the area where there has been the most pedestrian congestion.

Traffic is not the only challenge during the festival; another headache is parking.

Organizers encourage people to take advantage of the free shuttle bus service provided by Forsythe Transportation. The shuttle will run between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., with pickup points at the northern end of Fred Meyer, Veteran’s of Foreign War Post 9785 south parking lot and Business Boulevard.

“Just look for the Bear Paw Shuttle sign,” Gorski said. “It’s the easiest way to get to and away from the festival without the challenge of finding a nearby parking space.”

Reach the reporter at darrellbreese.@alaskastar.com.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, July 9, 2009.