Memorial Day, Black Bike Week to bring heavy traffic to Myrtle Beach area. What to expect

Emalyn Muzzy

May 20, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.·2 min read

The combination of the official kick-off to the summer season and the Atlantic Beach Bike Fest will bring more vehicles on the road and different traffic patterns to the Myrtle Beach area this weekend.

Memorial Day weekend draws thousands of people to the Myrtle Beach area to celebrate Atlantic Beach Bike Fest, also known as Black Bike Week, which has been going on for over 40 years. It’s also a long holiday weekend, so many people come to the Myrtle Beach area to vacation.

Here’s where different traffic patterns and heavy traffic will be.

Motorcyclists along Ocean Boulevard during Atlantic Beach Bike Fest 2022. The motorcycle rally returns this year, bringing an influx of traffic to the area.

U.S. 17, Ocean Boulevard to feature ‘chute’ again

North Myrtle Beach will put up barricades around one lane of U.S. 17 around Atlantic Beach from Friday through Monday, said North Myrtle Beach spokesperson Lauren Jessie. From 37th Avenue South to 25th Avenue South, North Myrtle Beach will dedicate the lane for Atlantic Beach Bike Fest attendees.

Myrtle Beach will shut down the northbound lane, allowing traffic to only move south along Ocean Boulevard beginning at 29th Avenue North and ending at U.S. 17. Only emergency vehicles will be allowed to drive north on Ocean Boulevard. This will last from Friday May 24 through Monday May 27.

Drivers will also not be able to access Ocean Boulevard normally as there will be nine designated entrances along the five-mile stretch. There will also be no through traffic allowed along Chester Street, Withers Drive and Yaupon Drive, all roads running intermittently in between U.S. 17 and Ocean Boulevard.

This has been nicknamed the “chute” and has been met with a negative reaction from business owners and people driving along Ocean Boulevard.

Here’s where to enter Ocean Boulevard:

21st Avenue North
Mr. Joe White Avenue
Ninth Avenue North
Third Avenue South
Ninth Avenue South
13th Avenue South
19th Avenue South
25th Avenue South
29th Avenue South

Where traffic will be congested

As bikers head into town, they will stay mostly in the North Myrtle Beach area with some in Myrtle Beach. There will be heavy traffic along U.S. 17.

U.S. 17 around Atlantic Beach, 29th Avenue South to 32nd Avenue South, will host a festival in town, creating a heavy concentration of cars and motorcycles. There will also be many bikers hanging out at the Myrtle Beach Mall, just north of S.C. 22.

With the chute, Ocean Boulevard will be busy, but it will likely be worse around the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, from 8th Avenue North to 14th Avenue North.

Other popular tourist attractions, like Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing, could draw in people coming to town for Memorial Day, so be ready to slow down.

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U.S. 17, Ocean Boulevard to feature ‘chute’ again

Where traffic will be congested

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