If you’re planning to watch Fireworks Over the Matanzas this Fourth of July, the City of St. Augustine wants you to have an exit strategy before you arrive. With thousands of residents and visitors expected downtown, city officials have provided traffic-routing maps that show the best ways to travel north or south out of downtown after the fireworks display. The maps are designed to help drivers avoid congestion caused by road closures and heavy pedestrian traffic.
Road closures for Fireworks Over the Matanzas will begin as early as 4 p.m. at Cathedral Place, where vehicle access between Avenida Menendez and Cordova Street will be prohibited. Additional closures will take effect around 7:30 p.m. and remain in place until approximately 11 p.m., impacting the Bridge of Lions, Avenida Menendez, S. Castillo Drive, Picolata Road between U.S. 1 and San Marco Avenue, San Carlos Avenue between U.S. 1 and San Marco Avenue, and N. Cordova Street from Orange Street to the entrance of the Historic Downtown Parking Facility.
From 7:30 to 11:30 p.m., King Street west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will operate with two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane, while King Street east of MLK Boulevard to Avenida Menendez will maintain one lane in each direction. Eastbound traffic on W. Castillo Drive from U.S. 1 to N. Cordova Street will not be permitted during that time. Roads are expected to reopen between 11 and 11:30 p.m., although times may vary depending on traffic and pedestrian conditions.
Fireworks Over the Matanzas begins with a free concert in the Plaza de la Constitución at 6 p.m., followed by a 20-minute fireworks display over Matanzas Bay at 9 p.m, 30 minutes earlier than it has typically started in past years.
Officials encourage drivers to review the city’s northbound and southbound traffic maps before heading downtown and to expect delays when leaving after the show.
Exiting Downtown After the Fireworks
Traffic from Lincolnville, westbound King Street and Malaga Street will be routed south on U.S. 1, and drivers will not be permitted to make right turns onto the highway.
Meanwhile, traffic exiting the Historic Downtown Parking Facility, W. Castillo Drive and the Historic District will be directed north on U.S. 1, with no left turns allowed onto the roadway.
After Avenida Menendez and the Bridge of Lions reopen, southbound traffic on Avenida Menendez and vehicles traveling from eastern Lincolnville will be directed east across the bridge. City officials also note that no westbound traffic will be allowed around the Plaza de la Constitución.
The St. Augustine Police Department may modify traffic patterns at any time throughout the event to maintain public safety and manage congestion. To view the official northbound and southbound traffic maps and learn more about parking, shuttles, and road closures, visit the City of St. Augustine’s webpage here.
