Blue Nose Marathon takes over Halifax and Dartmouth streets this weekend

Thousands of runners will descend upon the Halifax peninsula and parts of Dartmouth this weekend as the Blue Nose Marathon returns.

As a result, Halifax Regional Municipality says to expect street closures, parking restrictions and disruptions to transit on Saturday and Sunday.

There will also be rolling closures on many other streets throughout the peninsula. Police will be on hand to allow traffic to pass through when runners are not around, but if you need to go somewhere during the height of a race, you could be in for a long wait.

In addition, participants running the 10k, half marathon, and full marathon will cross the harbour via the Macdonald Bridge, meaning it will close to traffic at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Halifax Harbour Bridges expects it to reopen by noon.

If you need to drive through any of the affected areas, keep an eye out for people on the streets and give yourself plenty of extra travel time.  

Those involved are being encouraged to take Halifax Transit to their races, which will be free on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to volunteers with credentials and participants with run bibs.

HRM says the following streets will be fully closed to vehicle traffic on Saturday, May 21:

• Brunswick Street from Duke to Sackville streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Sackville Street from Brunswick to South Park streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Carmichael Street from Grafton to Brunswick streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Carmichael Street (west bound), from Argyle to Grafton streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Prince Street (west bound), from Grafton to Brunswick streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Rainnie Drive from Cogswell to Gottingen streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Market Street from Sackville to Prince streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Gottingen Street from Rainnie Drive to Brunswick Street (6 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Cogswell Street (inbound), from Cogswell Street Roundabout to Gottingen Street (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

The following streets will also be closed to vehicle traffic on Saturday, however, local access will be maintained:

• Gottingen Street (southbound) from Cogswell Street to Rannie Drive (6 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Queen Street from Artillery Place to Sackville Street (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Dresden Row from Annandale to Sackville Streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.) 

The following streets will be fully closed to vehicle traffic on Sunday, May 22:

• Brunswick Street from Duke to Sackville streets (5 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• Sackville Street from Brunswick to South Park streets (5 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
• Rainnie Drive from Cogswell to Gottingen streets (5 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Gottingen Street from Rainnie to Brunswick streets (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Prince Street (west bound), from Grafton to Brunswick Streets (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Carmichael Street, from Grafton to Brunswick streets (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Carmichael Street (west bound) from Argyle to Grafton Streets (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Market Street from Sackville to Prince Streets (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Macdonald Bridge from North Street to Wyse Road (6 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
• Cogswell Street (inbound), from Cogswell Street Roundabout to Gottingen Street (7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Nantucket Avenue from Wyse to Victoria Roads (8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)
• School Street from Victoria Road to Slayter Street (8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)
• Slayter Street from School to Thistle Streets (8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) 

The following streets will also be closed on Sunday, however, local access will be maintained:

• Queen Street, from Artillery Place to Sackville Street (5 a.m. to 12 p.m.)             
• Dresden Row, from Annandale to Sackville Streets (5 a.m. to 10 a.m.) 

Find more information on the Blue Nose Marathon, including the full schedule of events, at bluenosemarathon.com.