RAGBRAI Comes to Fairfield

July 22, 2019

Fairfield residents are being asked to keep their driving to a minimum on Thursday, July 25 and Friday, July 26th.

Many roads in town will be clogged with the 10,000 cyclists who will visit the city on the fifth day of the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. A few roads in downtown Fairfield will be closed to traffic beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday until just before dawn Friday when clean up is complete. This is because the downtown will host food and merchandise vendors, two concert stages, roving entertainment and a beverage garden.

Streets closing at 3 p.m. Wednesday:

• Main and Court streets, from Burlington to Briggs

• Broadway from Second to B streets

• Briggs Avenue from Main to Court streets

Furthermore, Burlington Avenue between Main and Court streets will be closed starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday until Friday morning. Fairfield Streets Superintendent Darrel Bisgard said Burlington is closing because the city has run an electric cord for vendors setting up on the street.

Bisgard said this street closing schedule is similar to what Fairfield did in 2013, the last time it hosted RAGBRAI.

“The problem last time was that we didn’t close Briggs soon enough, and some tenants were still parked there,” he said.

All vehicles must be out of these areas mentioned by the designated times, or they will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Problem areas will be Fillmore St. and Main, Burlington, Broadway and Briggs.  You may have difficulty getting to and from the Health Center both Thursday July 25th and Friday July 26th.