As professional cyclists swarm Colorado Springs for the fifth stage of this year's USA Pro Cycling Challenge, expect a number of streets to be closed downtown and in the western part of the city.

Cyclists are starting in Breckenridge Friday and entering Colorado Springs through Highway 24 between 2 p.m.-3 p.m. This leg of the race ends downtown roughly around 4 p.m.

According to the city, the following areas will be closed:

Thursday

DOWNTOWN
• 2:00 a.m. – parking lot at Pikes Peak Avenue and Cascade Avenue closed through 8/24
• 9:00 a.m. – Tejon Street closed between Colorado Avenue and Kiowa Street and between Kiowa Street and Bijou Street (through midnight Friday, 8/24);
• 9:00 a.m. – Pikes Peak Avenue closed between Cascade and Nevada Avenues (through midnight Friday, 8/24)

Friday

HIGHWAY 24
• 12:30 p.m. – short-duration closures moving toward Colorado Springs starting at Hartsel until approximately 4:00 p.m. at Manitou Springs

GARDEN OF THE GODS
• 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – park closed to motorized traffic and rock climbing

OLD COLORADO CITY
• 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – no parking on 30th Street from Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center to Colorado Avenue and on Colorado Avenue from 30th Street to Cascade Avenue
• 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – short-duration closure on route above when the race arrives; cross traffic allowed until race arrives

DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL
• 9:00 a.m. – Tejon Street: closed between Platte and Colorado Avenues (reopens at midnight); Cascade Avenue: northbound completely closed between Uintah Street and Colorado Avenue (reopens at 5 p.m.); Bijou Street: closed between Cascade Avenue and Tejon Street (reopens at 5:30 p.m.)

FULL CIRCUIT
• 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – closure of full circuit (Tejon/Cascade on the east/west and Cache La Poudre/Colorado on the north/south)
• 2:30 p.m. - Cascade Avenue: Southbound completely closed between Uintah Street and Colorado Avenue (reopens at 5:00 p.m.); Colorado Avenue: closed between Walnut Street and Tejon Street (reopens at 5:30 p.m.)

Employees in affected areas should contact their employers to determine the best parking procedure for the day. The city says that those who arrive downtown before 9 a.m. should not have any parking restriction except for street parking in certain areas. Those leaving work Friday afternoon on Cascade will be restricted until the race ends, likely no later than 5:15 p.m.

All city parking garages will be open Friday, though departures from Bijou and Cascade will be controlled between 1 p.m.-5 p.m.