One Sunday Morning in Late January, the MacArthur Causeway Is Shut

Once a year, on a Sunday in late January or early February, the shortest route between Miami and Miami Beach closes for the morning. In 2026 that Sunday was 25 January.

The Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon starts downtown before dawn, crosses the bay and runs a long loop on the island before returning. The course closures published by police follow a consistent pattern: the MacArthur Causeway eastbound shuts from around five in the morning until shortly after eight; Miami Beach streets on the route are closed from about five until ten; the Venetian Causeway closes for a window through the morning; the Rickenbacker Causeway towards Key Biscayne closes into the middle of the day; and downtown and Brickell streets reopen last, some not until early afternoon.

What that means for a visitor

The published advice on marathon morning is to use the Julia Tuttle Causeway instead, roughly between six and ten, if you need to reach or leave the island.

That is a good instruction and it is not the whole answer, because a runner-filled island with three of four causeways impaired is slow whichever bridge you pick. The better move is to stop crossing entirely that morning.

If you are staying on the island, treat marathon Sunday as an island day. Walk, use the free trolleys, stay east of the bay until lunchtime.

If you are staying on the mainland, keep the morning downtown and cross in the afternoon.

If you have an early flight that Sunday, leave for the airport earlier than you would on any other day, especially from Miami Beach, and check the closure map rather than the traffic app — a road that is barricaded does not appear as congestion, it appears as a route that is simply not there.

The one thing worth doing

A closed causeway is an unusual thing to stand next to. Runners cross the bay in the dark with the skyline behind them, and the spectator points along the route are free, cheerful and busy. If your Sunday morning has just been rearranged for you, it is a better way to spend it than sitting in a rerouted car.

Closure times and the course itself are republished each year and can change. Check the current traffic advisory before the weekend rather than assuming last year's map.