CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)- With the amount of people and cyclists who will be flooding the roads starting on May 14, the Charleston Fire Department has set up extra precautions to ensure the safety of cyclists and citizens alike.

Neighborhoods that will experience partial lane closures due to the race are in the South Hills, as well as the East End of Charleston. Those areas will be monitored closely by the Charleston Fire Department in case an emergency occurs.

“We’re placing emergency vehicles in those communities so we can access them readily. In addition to that, we’ll have road crews out that will be on alternative vehicles like side-by-sides. So not only our citizens will be protected during the event, but all the visitors and bicyclists as well,” said Charleston Fire Department Captain David Hodges.

Captain Hodges also said that their fire engines are equipped to handle emergency medical situations as well, but are not able to transport people in need of help. Ambulances will also be near those neighborhoods the cyclists will be going through.

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The bulk of the race will take place in downtown Charleston, with every race taking place on Kanawha Boulevard. There are different phases to the race, so there will not be cyclists in South Hills or the East End every day. You can check out all race course maps here .

Director of Communications for the City of Charleston Tina Stinson released a statement saying that not all race courses will cause hard closures and that there won’t be closures in the affected neighborhoods. But travelers should be ready to experience traffic delays in all areas around the race.

Races will begin Tuesday, May 14, with the last day taking place on Sunday, May 19.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOWK 13 News.